Washington– The administration of President Donald Trump is stepping up efforts to work with the Nigerian government to achieve this Counterviolence against Christians, suggesting a broader strategy since he ordered Preparations for possible military action He warned that the United States might resort to using firearms to eliminate Islamic extremists.
A State Department official said last week that the plans include much more than just the potential use of military force, describing a broad approach that includes diplomatic tools, such as potential sanctions, but also assistance programs and intelligence sharing with the Nigerian government.
Defense Minister Pete Hegseth also met with Nigeria’s national security adviser to discuss ways to stop the violence, and posted photos on social media of them shaking hands and smiling. This contradicts Trump’s threats this month Stop all aid to Nigeria If its government continues to allow the killing of Christians.
These efforts may support Trump’s pledge to do so Avoid further involvement in external conflicts And come as The US security footprint has diminished And in Africa, where there were military partnerships It has been reduced or eliminated. American forces will likely be withdrawn from other parts of the world to carry out any military intervention in Nigeria.
However, the Republican president kept up the pressure as Nigeria faced a crisis A series of attacks on schools and Churches in violence As experts and residents say Targeting Christians and Muslims alike.
“I’m really angry about it,” the president said Friday when asked about the new violence on Fox News Radio’s “The Brian Kilmeade Show.” He claimed that the Nigerian government had “done nothing” and said “what is happening in Nigeria is a disgrace.”
The Nigerian government rejected his claims.
Following his meeting on Thursday with Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu. Hegseth posted on Friday On social media, the Pentagon is “working aggressively with Nigeria to end the persecution of Christians by jihadist terrorists.”
“Hegseth stressed the need for Nigeria to demonstrate its commitment and take urgent and lasting action to stop violence against Christians, and conveyed the department’s desire to work with and through Nigeria to deter and degrade terrorists who threaten the United States,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
Jonathan Pratt, who leads the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, told lawmakers on Thursday that the “potential War Department involvement” is part of a larger plan, while the issue has been discussed by the National Security Council, the arm of the White House that advises the president on national security and foreign policy.
But Pratt described a broad approach at a congressional hearing on Trump’s recent comments Nigeria classified as a “Country of Particular Concern” On religious freedom, which opens the door to sanctions.
“This will extend from security to policing to the economy,” he said. “We want to look at all of these tools and have a comprehensive strategy to get the best possible outcome.”
The violence in Nigeria is far more complex than Trump made it out to be, with militant Islamist groups like Boko Haram killing Christians and Muslims. Mainly at the same time There is fighting between Muslim shepherds and farmers, most of whom are Christians Above land and water. Armed bandits, motivated more by money than religion, carry out kidnappings for ransom, with schools becoming a popular target.
in Two mass kidnappings in schools Last week, students were kidnapped from a Catholic school on Friday and Others were taken days before school In a Muslim majority town. In a separate attack, gunmen were killed Two people were killed In a church, they kidnapped a number of worshipers.
The situation has attracted increasing global attention. Rapper Nicki Minaj spoke at a United Nations event It was organized by the United States, saying: “No group should ever be persecuted for practicing their religion.”
If the Trump administration decides to organize an intervention,… The departure of American forces from neighboring Niger And with them Forced evacuation from a French base near the Chadian capital Last year fewer resources were left in the area.
Options include mobilizing resources from remote Djibouti in the Horn of Africa and from smaller temporary centers known as cooperative security sites. American forces operate in those places to carry out specific missions, in cooperation with countries such as Ghana and Senegal, and are likely not large enough to carry out an operation in Nigeria.
The region has also become a diplomatic black hole following a series of coups that rocked West Africa, prompting military juntas to expel former Western partners. In Mali, senior American officials are now trying to do just that Re-engage the military junta.
Even if the US military redirects forces and assets to strike inside Nigeria, some experts question how effective military action will be.
If Trump orders some airstrikes, they will likely fail to weaken Islamist militants who are killing Christians and Muslims alike, said Judd Devermont, senior adviser to the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Africa Program.
“Nigeria’s struggle with insecurity has been decades in the making,” said Devermont, who was senior director for African affairs at the National Security Council under Democratic President Joe Biden. “This will not be reversed overnight by an influx of American resources.”
Addressing the violence will require programs such as economic and interfaith partnerships as well as strengthened police measures, Devermont said, adding that US intervention will require Nigeria’s cooperation.
“This is not a policy of negligence on the part of the Nigerian government, this is a capacity issue,” Devermont said. “The federal government does not want to see its citizens killed by Boko Haram, nor does it want to see sectarian violence escalate in the way it has.”
The Nigerian government rejected unilateral military intervention, but said it welcomed assistance in fighting armed groups.
Boko Haram and its splinter group, the Islamic State in West Africa, launch an attack The devastating Islamic insurgency In the northeastern region and the Lake Chad region, the largest basin in Africa. Militants often cross the lake on fast-moving boats, bringing the crisis to border countries such as Chad, Cameroon and Niger.
American intervention without coordination with the Nigerian government would carry with it an enormous danger.
“The consequences are that if the United States puts troops on the ground without understanding the context they are in, that poses risks to the troops,” said Malik Samuel, a security researcher at Good Governance Africa.
Nigerian air attacks on armed groups have routinely led to occasional air strikes that have killed civilians.
In order to achieve proper targeting, governments need a clear picture of the intersecting causes of farmer-herder conflict and banditry in border areas. Samuel added that misreading the situation could lead to the spread of violence to neighboring countries.
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Adetayo reported from Lagos, Nigeria, and Metz reported from Rabat, Morocco.