United States Congressman Bill Huizenga has dismissed fears that President Donald Trump will send American troops to Nigeria, despite his fiery warning to go “guns-ablazing” over alleged killings of Christians.
Speaking with Arise TV, Huizenga said Trump’s comments reflected frustration with ongoing violence rather than an actual plan for invasion.
“I too was surprised by the comments… I don’t envision a surprise attack or military response,” he said.
According to him, Trump is more likely to use sanctions and economic pressure against individuals and organisations accused of funding violence. “Economic pressure would be the most effective,” he added.
Economic Sanctions Seen As Key Tool
Huizenga argued that targeting financial networks behind groups like Boko Haram or Fulani militants could be more impactful than any armed intervention. “Sanctions cut off the flow of money and travel. If we restrict that, we’ll see positive impact,” he said.
He also noted that Trump’s record shows a preference for diplomacy over warfare. “This President has pursued peace rather than expanding war,” he said.
Observers say Trump’s statements, though alarming, may be aimed at rallying his conservative Christian base rather than signalling a real military move.
AU Rejects ‘Genocide’ Claims
Meanwhile, African Union Commission Chair Mahamoud Ali Youssouf has dismissed Trump’s assertion that Christians face genocide in Nigeria’s north.
Speaking in New York, he said, “There is no genocide in northern Nigeria. The first victims of Boko Haram are Muslims, not Christians.”
Youssouf urged the U.S. to be cautious in framing Nigeria’s complex security crisis, stressing that the violence affects both faiths.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, remains deeply divided between a predominantly Christian south and a Muslim north.
The Boko Haram insurgency has killed over 40,000 people and displaced more than two million since 2009.
In Trump’s post, where he described Nigeria as “a country of particular concern,” the US President had insisted, “The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening… we are able and willing to defend Christians.”
Since then, Nigerian authorities have ramped up military engagement with the jihadists, and have activated diplomatic channels to engage with the US government and explain their side of the story.
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