US President Donald Trump has ordered the preparation of plans for military action in Nigeria to tackle Islamist militant groups, accusing the government of not doing enough to halt the killing of Christians.
Trump did not say which killings he was referring to, but claims of a genocide against Nigeria's Christians have been circulating in recent weeks and months in some right-wing US circles.
Groups monitoring violence say there is no evidence to suggest that Christians are being killed more than Muslims in Nigeria, which is roughly evenly divided between followers of the two religions.
The government of Africa's most populous nation has not responded to the threat of US military action.
However, Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu insisted that there was religious tolerance in the country and said the security challenges were affecting people across faiths and regions.
Trump wrote in a social media post on Saturday that he had instructed the US Department of War to prepare for possible action, warning that he might send the military into Nigeria guns-a-blazing unless the Nigerian government intervened, and stated that all aid to the country would be cut.
Trump added: If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!
He earlier declared Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern due to an existential threat posed to its Christian population, claiming thousands had been killed without providing any evidence.
This designation allows for sanctions against countries engaged in severe violations of religious freedom. Tinubu responded by saying his government is committed to working with the US and the international community to protect communities of all faiths and asserted that Nigeria's characterization as religiously intolerant does not reflect the national reality.
Jihadist groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province have wrought havoc in north-eastern Nigeria for over a decade, predominantly affecting Muslims according to Acled, a group analyzing political violence worldwide.
Despite the ongoing violence, both sides have suffered, with human rights groups indicating that there is no clear evidence of Christians being disproportionately targeted.
Trump, who had previously emphasized his avoidance of US entanglements in war, now faces increasing calls for action from the political right regarding Nigeria's situation.
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