Trump weighs sanctions and Pentagon action to pressure Nigeria to protect Christian communities – Firstpost

The United States is considering measures including sanctions and possible Pentagon counterterrorism involvement as part of a broader effort to pressure Nigeria to strengthen protections for Christian communities and preserve religious freedom, a senior State Department official said Thursday.

Nigeria has come under increased attention from President Donald Trump, who in early November warned of possible military action over the treatment of Christians. Nigerian officials insist that allegations of persecution oversimplify the complex security landscape and ignore government steps to protect religious freedom.

Jonathan Pratt, a senior official who heads the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs, told the House Foreign Affairs Committee that “the Trump administration is developing a plan to encourage and compel the Nigerian government to better protect Christian communities and improve religious freedom.”

He said the plan includes examining possible actions by both the State and Treasury departments Such as sanctions with possible “War Department involvement on counterterrorism” and additional measures aimed at protecting religious groups.

Pratt said Washington is closely evaluating the security assistance provided to Nigeria, how those resources are being used, and intelligence and information sharing with the government.

In October, Trump added Nigeria back to the “countries of particular concern” list of countries that the US says have violated religious freedom. He also said he has asked the Defense Department to prepare for possible “swift” military action in Nigeria if the West African country fails to stop the killing of Christians, and said he is immediately halting all aid and assistance to Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and top oil producer.

Nigeria, which has 200 ethnic groups practicing Christianity, Islam and traditional religions, has a long history of peaceful coexistence. But violence has also erupted between the groups, often exacerbated by ethnic divisions or conflict over scarce resources.

The extremist Islamist armed group Boko Haram has also terrorized north-eastern Nigeria, an insurgency that has killed thousands over the past 15 years. Human rights experts say that Boko Haram has killed more Muslims than Christians.

Pratt said a Nigerian delegation is set to meet with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and officials at the Pentagon, which Trump has renamed the War Department, while in the city this week.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu sent his national security adviser to Washington to meet with Trump administration officials and US lawmakers. The Nigerian delegation, which arrived on Wednesday, also includes the country’s defense chief, defense intelligence chief and police chief.

Pratt said Thursday that he does not believe the Nigerian government has been infiltrated by jihadists.

Jacob McGee, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, said the designation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern was an important step that drew the attention of that country’s government, but much more needed to be done.

“We plan to engage on the ground through our embassies there and other visits to ensure that Nigerians hear our important message that they have to do better,” McGee said.

with inputs from agencies