United States President Donald Trump has warned that Washington could carry out additional military strikes in Nigeria if attacks on Christians continue.
Trump gave the warning in an interview with The New York Times, while responding to questions on whether the Christmas Day missile strikes against Islamic State elements marked the beginning of a broader military campaign.
The operation followed earlier comments by Trump, made about a month before the strikes, in which he threatened to deploy U.S. troops to Nigeria to confront terrorists accused of killing Christians.
Some American politicians have repeatedly alleged that Christians are being subjected to genocide in the country.
However, Nigeria has said it retained control over the decision-making process during the single operation.
According to Ademola Oshodi, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Foreign Affairs and Protocol, the strike was carried out with Nigeria’s authority.
Speaking after the attack, Trump suggested that further action remained possible, a position he reaffirmed in the interview published on Thursday.
“I’d love to make it a one-time strike,” he said. “But if they continue to kill Christians it will be a many-time strike.”
The Nigerian government has consistently rejected claims that Christians are being deliberately targeted for killing.
In October, Trump’s senior adviser on Arab and African affairs, Massad Boulos, said extremist groups including Boko Haram and Islamic State had killed more Muslims than Christians in Nigeria.
Asked to respond to his adviser’s comments, Trump acknowledged that Muslims were also victims of violence in Nigeria but insisted that Christians were the primary targets.