By Enyichukwu Enemanna
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday renewed his threat of an attack on Islamist militants in Nigeria, raising questions on the role South Africa plays in the G20 bloc.
The US leader took a fresh swipe at the two of Africa’s biggest economies, renewing his threat over alleged genocide against Christians in Nigeria and questioning South Africa’s role in the Group of 20 just days before it hosts the global meeting, the first G20 Summit to be hosted in Africa.
Trump told Nigerian government to move fast to prevent the killing of Christians or “there is going be hell to pay”, asking the Pentagon to prepare for “possible action”.
In a video posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump reiterated his claim that the Nigerian government is failing to prevent the killing of Christians.
“The Nigerian government better move fast before its too late,” Trump said. “If they don’t there is going to be hell to pay.”
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, a Muslim whose wife, Oluremi Tinubu is a Christian pastor, said on Sunday he was committed to working with the US and international community to protect all faiths.
The Nigerian leader dismissed “the characterization of Nigeria as religiously intolerant” nation, saying it does not reflect the country’s national reality.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation has a population of about 230 million. With Christianity and Islam as two major religions, the oil-rich nation endured years of violence by Boko Haram terrorist organization.
According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data, 20,000 have been killed since 2020 in terror-related attacks.
On South Africa, Trump also said it “shouldn’t even be in the Gs anymore, because what’s happened there is bad” and reiterated that he won’t be attending the G20 summit in South Africa, instead sending Vice President JD Vance.
Pretoria is preparing to host a summit of the group’s leaders on November 22-23.
“South Africa shouldn’t even be in the Gs anymore, because what’s happened there is bad,” he said at an America Business Forum event in Miami.
Trump has previously made the false claim that there’s a genocide against White Afrikaner farmers in South Africa, which led him to offer them refugee status in the US.
