Afrasianet - Raed Salha - In  a scene reminiscent of the hate speech and division that characterized his first term, U.S. President Donald Trump has reignited global tension, this time with threats to Nigeria under the pretext of fighting "Islamic terrorism." Trump has threatened to cut off U.S. aid and even threatened to launch "swift and brutal" military strikes against what he called "Islamic terrorists who slaughter Christians."

But these remarks, according to Chloe Atkinson, are only a new manifestation of Trump's condescending and racist rhetoric, which mixes facts and exploits human suffering to fuel American supremacy and justify military interventions.

The tragedy in Nigeria is real and painful, with violence since 2020 killing more than 20,000 civilians, amid complex conflicts involving Boko Haram, clashes between farmers and herders, and widespread security chaos. The country has witnessed horrific massacres such as the April massacre in the town of Ziki and the June massacre in Yaluata, which have left widespread destruction and displacement.

However, portraying Nigeria as a failed state in need of "American liberation" is a dangerous and misleading proposition, as data shows that Muslims themselves have often been victims of these armed groups. Boko Haram has targeted worshippers in mosques and burned markets in Muslim-majority areas, refuting Trump's narrative that the war in Nigeria is a religious conflict against Christians.

The crisis in Nigeria is not a holy war, but a deadly combination of poverty, climate change, resource conflicts, and extremist ideas that are killing everyone. But instead of addressing the root of the problem, Trump is using sectarian rhetoric to stoke hatred against Muslims, just as he has done in his policies that targeted refugees and banned Muslims from entering the United States.

Trump's remarks sparked widespread outrage in Nigeria, with presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuja expressing his "shock" at the US threats, while President Bola Tinubu called Trump's accusations of religious intolerance a "distortion of national reality". Even the opposition, represented by Labour Party spokesman Ken Iluma Asogwa, acknowledged security failures but dismissed Trump's "genocidal narrative" as "baseless intimidation rhetoric."

Atkinson warns that any unilateral U.S. military intervention will only exacerbate the crisis, exacerbating ethnic conflicts and resource shortages, creating new waves of refugees, and undermining stability in Africa's most populous country.

The author calls for a realistic and humanitarian approach based on supporting humanitarian aid, strengthening security cooperation with the United Nations and the African Union, and pressuring the Nigerian government through incentives rather than threats. "The real strength," she says, "lies in building bridges, not building bunkers."

Atkinson concludes by saying that the Nigerian crisis is a test of America's conscience and foreign policy, and that Trump's rhetoric is not only a political mistake, but a "betrayal of American values itself." She adds:

"For the sake of Nigerian lives and the soul of America, we must not allow Trump to drag the country into a new quagmire of his own making. Nigeria deserves peace, not bombs."