U.S. President Calls for Military Intervention in Nigeria
U.S. President has called on the military to get ready for potential action in Nigeria. The President believes that the Nigerian government has not done enough to safeguard the lives of Christians in the country.
He hasn't specified any particular incidents, but there have been allegations of a mass killing of Christians in Nigeria circulating among some U.S. conservative groups recently.
However, organizations that monitor violence in the area have found no proof suggesting that Christians are being killed more than Muslims in Nigeria. The country has a roughly equal distribution of followers of both religions.
Nigerian Government’s Response
An aide to the Nigerian president stated that both leaders share a common interest in combating "all forms of terrorism against humanity."
Daniel Bwala has said that any disagreements about whether only Christians were being targeted "or in fact all faiths and no faiths" would be resolved when the U.S. President meets his Nigerian counterpart, Bola Tinubu, in the near future.
Tinubu has maintained that there is religious tolerance in the country and that the security issues were affecting people "across faiths and regions".
U.S. President’s Warning
In a recent social media post, the U.S. President revealed that he had directed the U.S. Department of War to get ready for "possible action".
He also cautioned that he might deploy the military to Nigeria "guns-a-blazing" unless the Nigerian government intervened, and stated that all aid to Nigeria would be terminated.
He stated: "If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!"
Replying to the post, the Secretary of State for War said: "Yes sir. The Department of War is preparing for action. Either the Nigerian Government protects Christians, or we will eliminate the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities."
U.S. President’s Announcement
The President also announced that he had declared Nigeria a "Country of Particular Concern" due to the "existential threat" posed to its Christian population. He claimed "thousands" had been killed, without providing any evidence.
This designation is used by the U.S. State Department to impose sanctions against countries "engaged in severe violations of religious freedom".
Responding to this announcement, Tinubu stated that his government is committed to working with the U.S. and the international community to protect communities of all faiths. He said, "The characterization of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality."
Jihadist Groups in Nigeria
Jihadist groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province have been causing chaos in northeastern Nigeria for more than ten years, killing thousands of people - however, most of these have been Muslims.
In central Nigeria, there are also regular clashes between mostly Muslim herders and farming groups, who are often Christian, over access to water and pasture.
Deadly cycles of reciprocal attacks have also led to thousands of deaths. Atrocities have been committed on both sides, and human rights groups say there is no evidence that Christians have been disproportionately targeted.
U.S. President’s Stance on War
Despite this, the U.S. President has often expressed satisfaction over not involving the U.S. in a war during his tenure, and has portrayed himself as a peacemaking president.
However, he is facing an increasing number of voices domestically, especially from the political right, who have drawn attention to the situation in Nigeria.