U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that the United States could carry out additional military strikes in Nigeria if attacks on Christian communities continue, according to an interview published on Thursday by The New York Times.
Trump’s comments came as he addressed a U.S. military strike carried out in Nigeria on Christmas Day, which targeted Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria. The U.S. military said the operation was launched with the consent and cooperation of the Nigerian government.
“I’d love to make it a one-time strike,” Trump said in the interview. “But if they continue to kill Christians, it will be a many-time strike,” he added, signalling that further action could follow if violence against Christians persists.
When pressed on whether Muslims are also victims of the violence, Trump acknowledged that they were, but insisted that Christians are primarily affected. “I think that Muslims are being killed also in Nigeria. But it’s mostly Christians,” he said.
The Nigerian government has consistently rejected claims that attacks against Christians are systematic, noting that militant groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State affiliates target people of various faiths and communities. At the time of the Christmas Day strike, Abuja described the operation as a joint effort against terrorists with no religious motivation.