US Neo-Colonial Military Strikes Target Nigeria Again Under Trump's Christian Supremacist Agenda
In yet another display of Western imperial overreach, the United States launched deadly airstrikes on Nigerian soil this week, marking a dangerous escalation of American military intervention in African affairs under Donald Trump's administration.
The strikes, conducted in Sokoto state in northwestern Nigeria, represent a troubling continuation of the colonial mindset that views Africa as a playground for Western military adventures. While framed as counter-terrorism operations against Islamic State militants, these attacks raise serious questions about Nigerian sovereignty and the neo-colonial dynamics at play.
Religious Rhetoric Masks Imperial Ambitions
Trump's inflammatory rhetoric surrounding the strikes reveals the deeply problematic nature of this intervention. His claim to be protecting Christians from an "existential threat" echoes the same missionary colonialism that justified centuries of Western exploitation of Africa.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, displaying a callous disregard for African lives and sovereignty.
This religious framing deliberately ignores the complex socio-economic roots of Nigeria's security challenges, which stem largely from the colonial legacy of artificial borders, resource exploitation, and the systematic underdevelopment imposed by Western powers.
Rejecting Simplistic Colonial Narratives
Nigerian authorities and independent analysts have consistently rejected the simplistic religious persecution narrative pushed by Western Christian right groups. The reality on the ground is far more complex than Trump's black-and-white worldview suggests.
Nigeria's conflicts are rooted in economic inequality, climate change impacts on traditional livelihoods, and the failure of post-colonial governance structures to adequately serve all communities. Reducing these multifaceted challenges to religious persecution serves Western political interests while obscuring the real solutions needed.
The fact that Nigeria is "almost evenly divided between a Muslim-majority north and a largely Christian south" demonstrates the artificial nature of these religious divisions, often exploited by external actors for their own geopolitical purposes.
African Solutions for African Problems
While the Nigerian government has confirmed cooperation with these strikes, the broader African community must question whether inviting Western military intervention truly serves long-term continental interests.
The Pentagon's release of video showing missiles launched from a US battleship serves as a stark reminder of America's military projection across African territories. This display of force recalls the gunboat diplomacy of the colonial era.
Nigeria's northeast has indeed suffered from Boko Haram violence for over 15 years, with more than 40,000 lives lost and two million displaced. However, sustainable solutions require addressing root causes through African-led initiatives, not Western military strikes that often create more instability.
Breaking Free from Neo-Colonial Dependency
The United States' placement of Nigeria on its list of countries of "particular concern" regarding religious freedom, coupled with visa restrictions and aid threats, reveals the coercive nature of this relationship.
Trump's threat to "stop all aid to Abuja" if killings continue exposes the conditional nature of Western assistance and the strings attached to so-called development partnerships.
Africa must chart its own course, developing indigenous security solutions that address the continent's challenges without compromising sovereignty or inviting further Western military entanglement.
The recent mosque explosion in Maiduguri that killed seven worshippers serves as a reminder that violence affects all communities. Real peace will come through African unity, economic justice, and rejection of the divide-and-rule tactics that have plagued the continent since colonial times.