Nigerian President Bola Tinubu is ready to meet US leader Donald Trump, said an adviser to the Nigerian head of state. The American politician previously threatened military action in Nigeria, whose authorities, in his opinion, allow Islamists to kill Christians.
Trump said Saturday that he had asked the Pentagon to prepare for possible swift military action in Nigeria if the government of Africa's most populous country “continues to allow the killing of Christians” and fails to stop attacks by “Islamist terrorists.” He called Nigeria a “disgraced country.”
President Trump helped Nigeria greatly by approving arms sales to the country, and President Tinubu used this opportunity to fight terrorism, and as a result, we achieved significant results, wrote Tinubu's advisor, Daniel Bwala, on X.
“We will gladly accept help from the US provided that they recognize the territorial integrity (of our country – PAP),” he added.
Bwala stressed that any differences of opinion between the leaders of the two countries on whether “terrorists in Nigeria attack only Christians or also (followers of) all religions and non-believers” could be “discussed and resolved” by Trump and Tinubu during the meeting. It could take place in the coming days at the residence of the President of Nigeria or at the White House, he added.
“When the leaders (of both countries – PAP) finally meet, I am sure they will have the opportunity to clarify these issues,” Bwala wrote.
President Tinubu, a Muslim from southern Nigeria whose wife is a Christian and a pastor, rejected Trump's accusations of religious intolerance. As Reuters reported, Tinubu, like his predecessors, is trying to ensure equal representation of Muslims and Christians in the country.
Nigeria, a country of over 200 million people belonging to about 200 ethnic groups, is divided into a northern part, inhabited mostly by Muslims, and a southern part, where the majority are Christians. Islamist organizations such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West Africa have been carrying out attacks in the country for over 15 years, killing thousands of people. Islamists operate mainly in the north-eastern part of the country, which is mostly Muslim, Reuters recalled. The agency emphasized, citing analysts, that although Christians are also killed in the attacks, the vast majority of the victims are Muslims.
In turn, in central Nigeria, there are frequent clashes between shepherds, mainly Muslims, and farmers, mainly Christians, over access to water and pastures. In the northwest of the country, armed bandits regularly attack villages and kidnap residents for ransom.
“Insurgent groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State in West Africa often portray their actions as targeting Christians, but in practice their violence is rampant and destroys entire communities,” said Ladd Serwat, an analyst at ACLED, a U.S. organization that monitors global crises. – Islamist-motivated violence is part of complex (…) conflict dynamics (in this country – PAP) regarding political power, land disputes, ethnic affiliation, membership in religious groups and banditry – he added.
ACLED research shows that of the 1,923 attacks carried out against civilians in Nigeria this year, 50 were against Christians because of their religion. Serwat noted that reports circulating in some right-wing circles in the US claim that up to 100,000 people have been killed in Nigeria since 2009. Christians, are not supported by available data.
However, even analysts who reject claims about the campaign targeting Nigerian Christians believe that the country's government has not taken decisive enough action against armed groups, the AP emphasizes.
– In too many cases, the perpetrators went unpunished, which clearly proves the huge failure of the state – Cheta Nwanze from the SBM Intelligence research center in Lagos told the agency.
– Nigerians must intensify actions (needed – PAP) in the fight against insecurity to prevent external interference. The criticism and pressure from Washington did not come in a vacuum. This is the result of many years of failures, noted Taiwo Hassan Adebayo from the Institute for Security Research think tank.
Trump's threat of military action came a day after his administration put Nigeria back on its list of “particularly vulnerable countries,” countries that the U.S. says violate religious freedom. (China, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia and Pakistan also made the list.)
Security experts quoted by Reuters assessed that any US airstrikes in Nigeria would most likely target small groups scattered over a very large area. This task would be even more difficult to accomplish because last year the US withdrew its forces from Niger, which borders Nigeria. Rebel groups are moving between Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
According to experts, the US may need help from the Nigerian military and government, which Trump has threatened to cut off support for. (PAP)
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