Why Donald Trump launched deadly strikes on ISIS in Nigeria

US President Donald Trump’s recent actions against ISIS in Nigeria are described as the biggest blow against Islamic terrorism. On December 17, Trump vowed to eliminate Islamic terrorism and destroyed his second target in nine days. The second part of America’s attack against Islamist terrorism, which Trump sees as his enemy, has been published. After Syria, the US army has now launched a major attack against Islamic State terrorists in the African country of Nigeria.

This was a joint operation of the US Navy and Air Force. According to the US Department of Defense, more than 20 terrorists from the Islamic State and its affiliated groups were killed in this operation, while a large weapons cache was destroyed. The Nigerian government also admitted that the Nigerian Army provided the location of these terrorists to the United States.

This is Trump’s second major attack on Islamic terrorism in a month. On December 19, the US Air Force attacked Islamic State terrorists in eastern Syria, and now on December 26, news of Trump’s second action against terrorism has emerged. Trump personally shared information about the operation carried out in Nigeria with the world.

“Today, on my orders, the American military eliminated terrorists who were killing innocent Christians in Nigeria,” Trump wrote on social media platform TRUTH SOCIAL. By associating the terrorist attack with Christians, Trump also conveyed the message that his action was a form of religious war aimed at protecting the Christian community in Nigeria.

Islamic State and Boko Haram terrorists have been continuously targeting the Christian community in the African country for the last 16 years. During this period, 53,000 Christians lost their lives due to terrorist attacks. Approximately 20,000 Christian places of worship and cemeteries were destroyed. About 16 million Christians in Nigeria were displaced due to this terrorism. The United Nations has also declared Nigeria a country of particular concern.

Why did the USA attack ISIS in Nigeria?

This series of religion-based genocidal attacks on the Christian community has been continuing since 2009. So why is Trump suddenly sympathetic to Christians? One of the main goals of this alleged campaign to protect Christians is to gain the support of America’s largest Christian voting bloc. Trump also wants to attract Black votes, especially those with roots in Nigeria and other African countries. Trump is also interested in Nigeria’s oil and mineral reserves to ensure the United States does not face a shortage of rare earth minerals. The fourth part of Trump’s plan is to restore American dominance in Africa.

Strategic relations experts believe that American influence in Africa is precisely why Trump suddenly remembered Nigeria. For a while, the USA even had a military presence in many African countries, but after 2020, the policies of African nations changed rapidly. Many countries began to strengthen their economic ties with China and strategic relations with Russia. As a result, US and NATO dominance in this part of the world has almost completely diminished.