UNGA: Trump makes use of UN stage to reward coal, slam open borders, problem world leaders
U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday stated he has ordered the Pentagon to start making ready for attainable navy motion in Nigeria, escalating his claims that the Nigerian authorities just isn’t doing sufficient to cease the persecution of Christians.
Trump additionally threatened to chop off all American help to the nation.
“If the Nigerian Authorities continues to permit the killing of Christians, the usA. will instantly cease all help and help to Nigeria, and should very effectively go into that now disgraced nation, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to utterly wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who’re committing these horrible atrocities,” Trump wrote on social media. “I’m hereby instructing our Division of Struggle to arrange for attainable motion. If we assault, it will likely be quick, vicious, and candy, identical to the terrorist thugs assault our CHERISHED Christians!”
His warning adopted a response earlier the identical day from Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who rejected Trump’s announcement that he was designating Nigeria “a rustic of specific concern” for allegedly failing to curb assaults on Christians.
Learn Additionally: Tinubu to Trump: Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty
In a press release, Tinubu stated the characterisation of Nigeria as a religiously illiberal nation was inaccurate.
“Non secular freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identification and shall at all times stay so,” he stated. “Nigeria opposes non secular persecution and doesn’t encourage it. Nigeria is a rustic with constitutional ensures to guard residents of all faiths.”
Trump had stated on Friday that “Christianity is dealing with an existential menace in Nigeria” and blamed “radical Islamists” for a “mass slaughter.” His feedback adopted current calls by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz for Congress to label Nigeria a violator of spiritual freedom, citing claims of “Christian mass homicide.”
Nigeria’s inhabitants of about 220 million is break up nearly evenly between Christians and Muslims. The nation faces insecurity on a number of fronts: Boko Haram and Islamic State–affiliated extremists, farmer–herder clashes, communal violence, ethnic tensions, and secessionist agitations.
Whereas Christians are amongst these focused, some analysts declare that almost all of victims of armed teams are Muslims within the nation’s Muslim-majority northern area, the place most assaults happen.
Learn Additionally: US Senator Cruz backs bill against Sharia, blasphemy laws in Nigeria
Additionally, Nigeria’s Ministry of International Affairs reiterated that the federal government protects residents of all religions.
“The Federal Authorities of Nigeria will proceed to defend all residents, regardless of race, creed, or faith,” spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa stated. “Like America, Nigeria has no choice however to rejoice the range that’s our biggest energy.”
The U.S. first designated Nigeria a “nation of specific concern” in 2020 over what the State Division referred to as “systematic violations of spiritual freedom.” The designation— which didn’t completely cite assaults on Christians—was eliminated in 2023, a transfer extensively considered as a part of efforts to enhance diplomatic relations forward of then–Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s go to.
