Gregory W. Meeks and Sara Jacobs, two prominent members of the US Congress, have denounced President Donald Trump’s threat to launch a military assault in Nigeria due to claims of Christian genocide.
Meeks, a ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Jacobs, a ranking member of the Africa Subcommittee, called Trump’s remarks “irresponsible and reckless” in a joint statement.
The Trump administration’s designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” was also rejected by the MPs, who claimed it oversimplifies the complicated nature of violence in the nation.
The classification misses the fact that land rivalry and resource scarcity, rather than religion, are frequently the driving forces for conflicts between farmers and herders. Both Christians and Muslims have been targeted by terrorist organizations, particularly in northern Nigeria, where criminal gangs known as bandits continue to attack villages, according to the statement.
Noting that “all Nigerians deserve protection,” they praised President Bola Tinubu’s initiatives to advance interfaith unity and enhance security.
Meeks and Jacobs also denounced as a “reckless response to distorted facts” Trump’s vow to “defend Christians” by potentially using force.
“President Trump’s threat of military force is utterly reckless. Offering security support is one thing; threatening to intervene is quite another. The politicians warned that such rhetoric could pull the US into yet another needless conflict.
The lawmakers cautioned that Trump’s proposal to stop U.S. aid to Nigeria would harm crucial development and humanitarian initiatives.
