United States President Donald Trump has suggested that additional US military strikes could be carried out in Nigeria if attacks on Christians persist, following a US operation conducted in the country on Christmas Day.
Trump made the remark in an interview with The New York Times published on Thursday, where he was asked whether the December 25 strike against Islamic State-linked militants in North-West Nigeria was the beginning of a sustained military campaign.
“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 Christmas Day operation, which the US government said targeted Islamic State affiliates at the request of the Nigerian authorities, drew international attention due to its timing and scope.
Washington described the strike as part of efforts to counter extremist violence in the region.
Trump justified the action as a response to what he termed “repeated killings of Christians” by terrorist groups in Nigeria, a description that has sparked debate about the nature and drivers of the country’s insecurity.
When asked about claims by his senior Africa adviser that groups such as the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram have killed more Muslims than Christians, Trump acknowledged that both religious communities have suffered significant casualties.
“I think that Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria,” he said. “But it’s mostly Christians.”
The Nigerian Federal Government has consistently rejected assertions that Christians are being deliberately targeted for genocide.
Authorities maintain that armed groups operating in the country are driven by a mix of extremist, criminal and economic motives, and have attacked both Muslims and Christians, particularly in parts of northern Nigeria.
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