U.S. President Donald J. Trump on Saturday escalated a diplomatic row with Nigeria by warning that Washington could halt all aid and — if the violence does not stop — even send U.S. forces into the country “guns-a-blazing” to strike Islamist militants he blamed for a wave of attacks on Christians. The comments were published on his social platform and accompanied orders to the Pentagon to begin planning for possible action.
Trump’s post said he was designating Nigeria a “country of particular concern” for religious-freedom abuses and accused so-called “radical Islamists” of carrying out a “mass slaughter” of Christians. He gave no operational details and did not cite new evidence to substantiate numbers in his post. The president’s remarks mark a sharp intensification of U.S. rhetoric over violence in Nigeria, where militant groups such as Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and militant herder-farmer clashes have produced widespread insecurity over many years.
Nigeria’s federal government immediately rejected the accusation that it is tolerating religious killings. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the government is committed to protecting all citizens and continuing operations against violent extremists; Nigerian officials stressed that attacks have also killed many Muslims and that the security challenge is complex and multifaceted. Diplomats cautioned that unilateral military action by the United States on Nigerian soil would raise serious legal and regional consequences.
U.S. lawmakers and rights groups will closely watch what steps follow Trump’s directive. The “country of particular concern” label is a State Department tool that can presage sanctions or other measures; military intervention, however, would represent an unprecedented escalation in U.S. policy toward an African partner and would likely require Congressional engagement and complex legal authorities. Analysts also warned that foreign strikes risk inflaming local tensions and could put civilians at greater risk.
Reaction across the region and from international partners was cautious. Human-rights and humanitarian groups reiterated the need for verified investigations into abuses and for stepped-up support for vulnerable communities, while urging diplomatic channels and multilateral cooperation rather than unilateral force. The sharp U.S. statement comes amid growing domestic political pressure in Washington over global religious-freedom claims and follows calls from some U.S. officials and lawmakers to investigate and press Nigeria on the issue.
Discover more from Ghana Media
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
