On Saturday, out of the blue, the US leader claimed in a Truth Social post: “They’re killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. We’re not going to allow that to happen.”
There was no specific or recent act that would have prompted the claim, and the sudden and unexpected escalation unsettled markets, with Nigeria’s dollar bonds falling today.
Nigeria — which has a population of 230 million, roughly split between Muslims and Christians — has been wracked by brutal violence for decades. But it largely takes the form of ethnic conflicts, or mass killings over access to water and land.
In the restive north, Islamists including Boko Haram and an offshoot of Islamic State terrorize a largely Muslim population.
What is clear is that this is a topic dear to the influential Christian right in the US. Trump’s post follows a steady drumroll from the likes of US Senator Ted Cruz, comedian Bill Maher and others ginning up the controversy.
It will cause alarm among those in the MAGA movement who believe that the US shouldn’t get involved in conflicts overseas, be it Ukraine or Venezuela.
But the warning shot to Nigeria will reverberate most in South Africa, getting ready to host the continent’s first Group of 20 summit, and Vice President JD Vance, this month.
The Catholic convert was in the Oval Office when Trump claimed there’s a genocide against White farmers in South Africa.
He rarely backs down even if his claims are misguided and inaccurate. The challenge for Abuja, like Pretoria, is how to convince him he’s wrong without inviting retaliation. — Neil Munshi