President Donald Trump said on Saturday (local time) that the United States (US) would halt all aid and assistance to Nigeria if the government there continues to kill Christians. In a post on Truth Social, the 79-year-old Republican leader said also that the US may even take a military action against Islamic terrorists who are committing 'horrible atrocities' in Nigeria.
"If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and 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," he said. "I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. 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."
Trump's warning and persecution of Christians in Nigeria
Over the past few days, Trump has expressed concerns over the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria, blaming 'radical Islamists' for their 'mass slaughter' in the African nation. Notably, the European Union (EU) has also expressed a similar concern and its Parliament had even passed a resolution in this regard, condemning the alleged violence against Christians in Nigeria.
"Religious freedom is a fundamental right and a cornerstone of human dignity," the EU Parliament said on October 2. "For this reason, the EU cannot limit itself to a partial analysis of the factors at play but must strengthen its diplomatic and protection mechanisms, including through figures such as the Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief outside the EU and the EU Special Representative for Human Rights."
Nigeria is an African nation where the population is evenly divided between Muslims and Christians. Generally, the Muslims live in the country's north, while the south is dominated by the Christians. But since the emergence of Islamist group Boko Haram, violence has spread in different parts of the African nation, claiming more than 40,000 lives.
The conflict has also displaced around two million people and caused religion tensions in Nigeria.
What the data says about persecution of Christians in Nigeria?
Though Trump and the EU have condemned the killing of Christians in Nigeria, analysts have rejected the claims of genocide. According to a report by US-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data program, 20,409 people were killed during 11,862 attacks against civilians in Nigeria between January 2020 and September this year.
Of this, only 385 attacks were targeted against Christians, leading to 317 deaths. During the same period, 196 attacks were reported against Muslims, causing 417 deaths, the ACLED data said.
"If anything, what we are witnessing is mass killings, which are not targeted against a specific group," Olajumoke Ayandele, an assistant professor at New York University’s Center for Global Affairs, was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. "The drumming-up of genocide might worsen the situation because everyone is going to be on alert."
