United States President, Donald Trump, has cautioned that Washington could launch additional military strikes in Nigeria if the killing of Christians persists, remarks that have renewed focus on U.S. rhetoric surrounding violence in the country.
In an interview with The New York Times published on Thursday, Trump said further action could follow a U.S. military operation carried out on Christmas Day against Islamic State militants in northwestern Nigeria.
The U.S. military said the strike was conducted at the request of the Nigerian government.
“I’d love to make it a one-time strike,” Trump said. “But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike.”
The Nigerian government has repeatedly rejected allegations that Christians are being systematically targeted or persecuted within the country.
Responding to comments by his own Africa adviser that extremist groups such as Islamic State and Boko Haram have killed more Muslims than Christians, Trump acknowledged that Muslims have also been victims, but maintained that Christians are the main targets.
“I think that Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria,” he said. “But it’s mostly Christians.”
Trump has raised the issue several times in recent months. In late October, he warned that Christianity was facing an “existential threat” in Nigeria and suggested that the United States could consider military intervention if Nigerian authorities failed to curb violence against Christian communities.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation with more than 230 million people, has long grappled with serious security challenges, including insurgency, mass kidnappings and attacks by Islamist militant groups.
In the same interview with The New York Times published on Thursday, Trump reiterated that further U.S. action remained possible following the Christmas Day strike on Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria, which the U.S. military said was conducted at Abuja’s request.
“I’d love to make it a one-time strike,” Trump said. “But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike.”
Nigeria’s government has consistently denied claims that Christians are being systematically persecuted across the country.
Asked again about his Africa adviser’s assertion that militant violence has claimed more Muslim lives than Christian ones, Trump said Muslims were also suffering but repeated his view that Christians were primarily targeted. “I think that Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria,” he said.
“But it’s mostly Christians.”
Trump has repeatedly highlighted the issue in recent months, including a warning in late October that Christianity faced an “existential threat” in Nigeria and that the United States might intervene militarily if violence against Christian communities continued unchecked.
Nigeria, with a population exceeding 230 million, continues to face persistent insecurity linked to insurgency, kidnappings and attacks by Islamist militant groups.
