Two members of the United States Congress, Gregory W. Meeks and Sara Jacobs, have criticised President Donald Trump’s recent threat to halt aid and launch military action against Nigeria.
Meeks, who serves as the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Ms Jacobs, the ranking member of the Africa Subcommittee, described the comments as “irresponsible and reckless.”
In a joint statement released on Monday, the lawmakers also rejected the Trump administration’s decision to classify Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern.”
“The Trump administration’s designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern ignores the complex reality of violence there,” the statement read.
They explained that clashes between farmers—many, but not all, of whom are Christians—and herders are driven by issues of resource scarcity and land competition, rather than religion alone.
“Terrorist groups,” they noted, “have killed both Christians and Muslims across the country, particularly in the predominantly Muslim North,” which continues to experience violent attacks by criminal gangs commonly known as bandits.
“All Nigerians deserve protection, and we know President Tinubu recognises the importance of inter-faith harmony and is working to address this challenge,” the lawmakers added.
They went on to condemn Mr Trump’s comments about “defending Christians” through possible military intervention, describing it as a “reckless response to distorted facts.”
“It is incredibly irresponsible of President Trump to threaten military action. Providing security support is one thing; threatening military intervention is another matter entirely. Such rhetoric risks embroiling the United States in another needless war,” they said.
On Trump’s threat to cut off aid to Nigeria, the lawmakers argued that such an action would weaken crucial humanitarian and development efforts in the country.
“Trump’s aid cuts have blocked much-needed emergency nutrition and livelihoods training, the very types of programmes essential to stopping the spread of insurgency,” they added.
