President Donald Trump said Saturday he has ordered the Defense Department to prepare for possible military action in Nigeria as he continues to accuse the nation of violence against Christians an accusation Nigeria has repeatedly denied.
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In a social media post criticizing what he called the “mass slaughter” of Christians in the country, Trump wrote the United States would “immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria” and warned the government there to “move fast.”
In the lengthy message, Trump said that the US “may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.”
“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action,” Trump wrote. “If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians! WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!”
The announcement comes after Trump accused Nigeria of religious freedom violations on Friday, claiming that “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria” and designating the nation as a “Country of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act. The label is a suggestion that his administration has found that Nigeria has engaged or tolerated “systematic, ongoing, (and) egregious violations of religious freedom.”
In a social media post after the designation, but before Trump’s mention of the military, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu wrote, “The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians.”
He added that Nigeria is “working with the United States government and the international community to deepen understanding and cooperation on protection of communities of all faiths.”
Tinubu’s press secretary, responding to a social media post from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemning the “slaughter of thousands of Christians” called the characterization “a gross exaggeration of the Nigerian situation,” adding that “Christians, Muslims, churches and mosques are attacked randomly.”
“What our country requires from America is military support to fight these violent extremists in some states of our country, not designation as a nation of particular concern,” said Bayo Onanuga.
Both Christians and Muslims have been victims of attacks by radical Islamists in Nigeria. The violence in the country is driven by varying factors: Some incidents are religiously motivated and affect both groups, while others arise from disputes between farmers and herders over limited resources, as well as communal and ethnic tensions.
Although Christians are among those targeted, local reports indicate that most victims are Muslims living in Nigeria’s predominantly Muslim north.
Spokespersons for the White House and Tinubu’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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