US President Donald Trump warned Friday that Christians in Nigeria face an “existential threat,” reigniting a right-wing narrative that analysts say distorts reality.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed “radical Islamists” are committing “mass slaughter” against Christians and said he will designate Nigeria a “country of particular concern.” He offered no evidence to support the allegations.
His remarks echo calls from political allies such as Senator Ted Cruz, who have amplified claims of “Christian genocide” in Nigeria — assertions widely dismissed by conflict experts.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is torn by overlapping conflicts that have claimed tens of thousands of lives across religious and ethnic lines. Analysts say the violence is largely indiscriminate, affecting Muslims and Christians alike.
The northeast remains scarred by 15 years of jihadist insurgency from Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province, which have killed more than 40,000 people and displaced millions.
In the northwest, armed gangs known as “bandits” raid villages, while in central regions, clashes between mostly Muslim herders and Christian farmers often flare into deadly confrontations. Experts trace these battles to competition over land and water, worsened by population growth and climate change.
Massad Boulos, Trump’s senior adviser on Arab and African affairs, recently acknowledged that jihadist groups “are killing more Muslims than Christians.”
Data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project show that since 2009, more than 52,000 civilians have been killed in Nigeria’s political and communal violence.
Trump’s comments coincide with lobbying efforts by Nigerian separatist groups seeking to portray the violence as a campaign against Christians, reviving memories of Biafra’s bloody civil war more than half a century ago.