U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested that the United States may consider deploying troops or conducting air strikes in Nigeria in response to what he described as the mass killing of Christians in the West African nation.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday evening while returning to Washington from his Florida residence, Trump said he was weighing “a lot of options” to address the violence.
“Could be [troops],” Trump said when asked whether he envisioned ground forces or air strikes. “I mean, other things. I envisage a lot of things. They’re killing record numbers of Christians in Nigeria… We’re not going to allow that to happen.”
The president’s remarks came a day after he warned that Washington could take military action if the Nigerian government fails to stop the killings. His comments also followed the U.S. decision to re-designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) a classification reserved for nations accused of severe violations of religious freedom.
Countries currently on the CPC list include China, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, and Pakistan.
Trump’s comments signal renewed U.S. attention to Nigeria’s escalating sectarian violence, which has drawn global concern from human rights organizations and religious groups.
