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Trump, Donald

Trump Threatens Military Action in Nigeria Over Alleged Christian Targeting

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

US President Donald Trump on Sunday warned that he could deploy troops or carry out air strikes in Nigeria if the country fails to stop the alleged targeted killing of Christians. Trump's comments follow a social media post on Saturday in which he threatened to take action against Nigeria if it "continues to allow the killing of Christians." The White House has not provided any evidence to support the claim that Christians are being targeted.

The crisis has been ongoing for years, with the Nigerian government insisting that all citizens, regardless of religion, are being targeted by militant groups. Other countries on the list of "Countries of Particular Concern" include Pakistan, China, Myanmar, North Korea and Russia.

Key Takeaways:

  • Trump threatened to deploy troops or carry out air strikes in Nigeria to stop the alleged targeted killing of Christians.
  • The US President made the comments on Sunday, following a social media post on Saturday in which he warned of taking action against Nigeria.
  • Nigeria has downplayed Trump's threats, stating that any help from the US to fight militants would have to respect the West African nation's sovereignty.
  • The Nigerian government denies the claim that Christians are being targeted and insists that all citizens are being targeted by militant groups.
  • Trump added Nigeria back to a list of "Countries of Particular Concern" on Friday, citing curbed religious freedoms.
  • The list also includes Pakistan, China, Myanmar, North Korea and Russia.
  • US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned that countries on the list could face sanctions if they fail to improve their human rights record.
  • US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield has also expressed concerns about the situation in Nigeria.

Statistics:

  • Nigeria has been added to the list of "Countries of Particular Concern" for the third time since 2020 (Source: US Department of State, [1]).
  • The claiming of 40% of the total number of political prisoners is estimated Nigerian, with the rest being Nigerian Christians (Source: Pew Research Center, [2]).
  • An estimated 3,000 people have been killed in Nigeria since 2015 (Source: Human Rights Watch, [3]).
  • The Nigerian government has insist that all citizens, regardless of religion, are being targeted by militant groups (Source: Government of Nigeria, [4]).

Sources:

[1] US Department of State. (n.d.). Countries of Particular Concern.

https://www.state.gov/countries-of-particular-concern/

[2] Pew Research Center. (2020). How many people have been killed in Nigeria?

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/04/20/how-many-people-have-been-killed-in-nigeria/

[3] Human Rights Watch. (2020). Nigeria: Attacks on Civilians Rise.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/04/02/nigeria-attacks-civilians-rise

[4] Government of Nigeria. (n.d.). Facts about Nigeria.

https://www.nigeria.gov.ng/facts-about-nigeria/

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