US President Donald Trump has reiterated his threat of military intervention in Nigeria over accusations that Christians are being targeted.
On October 31, he redesignated Nigeria as a ‘country of particular concern’ amid claims of a Christian genocide and urged the Nigerian government to act quickly to stop the “killing of Christians”.
Hours after the designation, Trump said he would not rule out air strikes or ground forces as part of efforts to “completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists killing Christians in Nigeria”.
In a video address delivered from behind a lectern bearing the presidential seal on Wednesday, he condemned violence blamed on radical Islamist groups and warned of prompt consequences if Nigerian authorities do not respond decisively.
Trump warned the United States would suspend all assistance if the violence continued, saying “there would be hell to pay”. He told the US department of war to prepare for possible military action and stressed that any intervention could be “vicious and sweet”.
Describing the situation as an “existential threat” to Christianity in Nigeria, he claimed that “thousands and thousands of Christians are being killed” and blamed “radical Islamists” for the killings.
He also called on Congressman Riley Moore and Tom Cole, chairman of the House appropriations committee, to investigate the matter urgently and report back.
“I am hereby making Nigeria a country of particular concern,” Trump said, urging immediate congressional attention and reiterating the United States’ readiness to protect Christian communities around the world.