For the first time since shifting his focus to insecurity in Nigeria, President Donald Trump has acknowledged that Muslims are also victims of violence in the country.
In an interview with the New York Times, Trump conceded that no single religion is spared, but insisted that Christians remain the “major victims.”
“I think that Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria. But it’s mostly Christians,” Trump was quoted as saying.
Trump’s comments came in the wake of a Christmas Day attack on terror targets in Nigeria, after which he warned that further U.S. strikes could follow.
“I’d love to make it a one-time strike … But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike,” he said.
The President’s remarks contrasted with assessments from his own Africa adviser, who had noted that Islamic State and Boko Haram militants were killing more Muslims than Christians.
Previous Warnings
In late October, Trump warned that Christianity faced an “existential threat” in Nigeria, threatening military intervention over what he described as the government’s failure to protect Christian communities.
He subsequently redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, accusing the government of weakness in safeguarding lives.
The Nigerian government dispatched a high-powered delegation to Washington to present its account of the security situation. In turn, senior American officials later visited Nigeria to obtain first-hand assessments of the crisis.
Nigeria has had years of violence from Boko Haram insurgents, Islamic State affiliates, and armed bandit groups, with both Muslim and Christian communities suffering heavy casualties.
While attacks on churches and Christian communities have drawn international attention, Muslim-majority areas in the North-East have also borne the brunt of extremist violence.
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