WASHINGTON — The administration of President Donald Trump is encouraging efforts to work with the Nigerian government to counter violence against Christians, signaling a broader strategy as he ordered preparation for possible military action and warned that the United States could move to kill Islamic militants.
A State Department official said last week that the plans include much more than just the potential use of military force, describing an expansive approach that includes diplomatic tools such as potential sanctions, as well as 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, posting photos on social media of them shaking hands and smiling. This contrasted with Trump's threats this month stop all aid to Nigeria if her government “continues to allow the killing of Christians.”
These efforts could support Trump's promise avoid more involvement in foreign conflicts and come as US security influence has diminished in Africa, where military partnerships have either been reduced or canceled. Any military intervention in Nigeria would likely have to involve US troops from other parts of the world.
However, the Republican president continued to apply pressure as Nigeria faced series of attacks on schools And churches in violence what experts and residents say targets both Christians and Muslims.
“I'm very angry about this,” the president said Friday when asked about the new violence on Fox News Radio's “The Brian Kilmeade Show.” He said the Nigerian government “did nothing” and said “what is happening in Nigeria is a disgrace.”
The Nigerian government rejected his claims.
Following a meeting on Thursday with Nigeria's National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Hegseth posted on Friday social media says the Pentagon is “actively working with Nigeria to end the persecution of Christians by jihadist terrorists.”
“Hegseth emphasized the need for Nigeria to demonstrate commitment and take both immediate and long-term action to stop violence against Christians, and expressed the Department's desire to work with, with and through Nigeria to deter and dismantle terrorists who threaten the United States,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
Jonathan Pratt, who heads the State Department's Bureau of African Affairs, told lawmakers on Thursday that “possible military involvement” was part of a larger plan while the issue was being discussed by the National Security Council, the White House unit that advises the president on national security and foreign policy.
But Pratt described a broad approach at a congressional hearing about Trump's recent announcement. designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over 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 develop a comprehensive strategy to achieve the best outcome.”
The violence in Nigeria is far more complex than Trump portrays, with militant Islamist groups such as Boko Haram killing Christians and Muslims alike. At the same time, mainly Muslim shepherds and mostly Christian farmers fight over land and water. Armed bandits, motivated more by money than religion, also carry out kidnappings for ransom, with schools being a popular target.
IN two mass school abductions Last week on Friday, students were kidnapped from a Catholic school and… others had been taken days earlier from school in a Muslim-majority city. In a separate attack, militants killed two people in a church and kidnapped several believers.
The situation has attracted growing international attention. Rapper Nicki Minaj performs at UN event organized by the US, declaring that “no group should ever be persecuted for practicing their religion.”
If the Trump administration decides to intervene, withdrawal of American troops from neighboring Niger and them forced eviction from a French base near the Chadian capital last year they left fewer resources in the region.
Options include mobilizing resources from vast Djibouti in the Horn of Africa as well as smaller temporary hubs known as joint security sites. US forces operate in these locations on specific missions with countries such as Ghana and Senegal, and are likely not large enough for an operation in Nigeria.
The region has also become a diplomatic black hole after a series of coups rocked West Africa, leading to military juntas ousting former Western partners. In Mali, senior US officials are now trying reinstall the gasket.
Even if the US military redirects forces and capabilities to strike Nigeria, some experts question how effective military action will be.
Judd Devermont, a senior adviser in the Africa program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that if Trump orders a few showpiece airstrikes, they would likely fail to humiliate Islamic militants who have killed both Christians and Muslims.
“Nigeria's struggle with insecurity is decades old,” said Devermont, who was senior director for African affairs at the National Security Council under Democratic President Joe Biden. “An influx of US resources will not change the situation overnight.”
Addressing the violence will require programs such as economic and interfaith partnerships and stronger policing, Devermont said, adding that U.S. involvement will require Nigeria's cooperation.
“This is not a policy of neglect on the part of the Nigerian government—it is a capacity issue,” Devermont said. “The Federal Government does not want its citizens to be killed by Boko Haram, nor does it want sectarian violence to gain momentum like it is now.”
The Nigerian government has rejected unilateral military intervention but said it welcomes help in the fight against armed groups.
Boko Haram and its splinter group, the Islamic State of West Africa, are leading destructive Islamist uprising in the northeastern region and in the Lake Chad region, Africa's largest basin. Militants often cross the lake in fast boats, spreading the crisis to border countries such as Chad, Cameroon and Niger.
US intervention without coordination with the Nigerian government would pose enormous risks.
“The implications are that if the US deploys troops on the ground without understanding the context they are in, it will create a risk for the troops,” said Malik Samuel, a security researcher at Good Governance Africa.
Nigeria's air attacks on armed groups have routinely resulted in random airstrikes that have killed civilians.
To properly set targets, governments need a clear understanding of the overlapping causes of farmer-herder conflicts and banditry in border areas. A misunderstanding of the situation could lead to violence spreading to neighboring countries, Samuel added.
___
Adetayo reported from Lagos, Nigeria, and Metz from Rabat, Morocco.
