Nigeria said on Sunday it would welcome assistance from the United States in combating Islamist insurgents, as long as its territorial integrity is respected, following threats of military action from U.S. President Donald Trump over alleged mistreatment of Christians in the country.
The West African nation’s willingness to accept help comes amid strong rhetoric from the U.S. demanding Nigeria act decisively. Trump said he had asked the U.S. Defence Department to prepare for possible “fast” military action if Nigeria fails to crack down on the killing of Christians.
“We welcome U.S. assistance as long as it recognises our territorial integrity,” said Nigerian presidential adviser Daniel Bwala in a Reuters interview. He added: “I am sure by the time these two leaders meet and sit, there would be better outcomes in our joint resolve to fight terrorism.”
The call for U.S. support takes place in Nigeria, a nation with more than 200 million people and roughly 200 ethnic groups, divided largely between a Muslim-majority north and mostly Christian south.
Read Also: Sudan North Kordofan RSF Attacks Drive Thousands To Flee
Islamist insurgent groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have been active for over 15 years, mostly in the northeast. Despite narrative claims of anti-Christian violence, analysts at crisis-monitoring group ACLED say that the majority of victims are Muslims and that targeted Christian-killings remain low in relation to total violence: out of 1,923 attacks on civilians this year, only 50 were identified as targeting Christians because of their religion.
“Insurgent groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP often present their campaigns as anti-Christian, but in practice their violence is indiscriminate and devastates entire communities,” said ACLED Senior Africa Analyst Ladd Serwat.
The U.S. threat triggered major diplomatic and rhetorical responses. On Saturday, Trump placed Nigeria back on the U.S. “Countries of Particular Concern” list for nations that the U.S. says have violated religious freedoms — a list that includes China, Myanmar and Russia.
In response, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is a Muslim married to a Christian pastor, rejected the accusations of religious intolerance and defended his government’s efforts to promote religious freedom. Nigeria also recently appointed a Christian as its defence chief in a move seen as balancing religious representation.
The window for diplomatic resolution between Washington and Abuja appears open. Nigeria’s condition of “recognised territorial integrity” signals willingness to engage, provided sovereignty concerns are addressed.