By Our Reporter
United States President Donald Trump has warned that the US could carry out additional military strikes in Nigeria if attacks on Christians continue.
Trump issued the warning during an interview with The New York Times, when asked whether the Christmas Day missile strikes against Islamic State-linked targets in Nigeria marked the beginning of a broader 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 strikes came about a month after Trump had threatened to deploy US troops to Nigeria, vowing to act decisively against terrorist groups accused of killing Christians.
However, Nigeria’s government said it retained control over the operation. Ademola Oshodi, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Foreign Affairs and Protocol, stated that Nigerian authorities were fully involved in the decision-making process surrounding the strike.
The Nigerian government has repeatedly rejected claims that Christians are being deliberately targeted for genocide, insisting that terrorism in the country affects all religious groups.
In October, Trump’s senior adviser on Arab and African affairs, Massad Boulos, said extremist groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State were killing more Muslims than Christians in Nigeria. Responding to that assessment, Trump acknowledged that Muslims were also being killed but maintained that Christians were the primary targets.