The Wall Street Journal reports that the Trump administration is sending 200 troops to the country, where they will train Nigerian troops to coordinate simultaneous air and infantry attacks, among other things. They will join the U.S. military personnel already there and be stationed all around the country.
“We want to partner with capable and willing partners that are able to address these shared security concerns,” said a spokesperson for U.S. Africa Command.
Another spokesman for the Nigerian military says that U.S. personnel are not going to be involved in any direct combat. Furthermore, it is noted that Nigeria requested extra American assistance.
All of this comes after President Donald Trump pointed the finger at Nigeria for not helping persecuted Christians. The two countries have recently since been working together against groups like the Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa Province.
Nigeria is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a Christian. Gary Bauer of American Values says a family that heads out to church on any given Sunday never knows if they'll see their home again.
“The estimate is that, since the beginning of this year, an average of 30 Christians are murdered every day by radical Islamists in Nigeria,” informs Bauer.
Bauer says that this is something that President Donald Trump has prioritized.
“Religious liberty, and specifically protection for Christians around the world, is a high priority for the administration,” states Bauer.
He says that Nigeria is probably the most important country in Africa going forward.
“It appears to be ahead in development compared to a number of other nations in Africa. It's hard to imagine a future for the African continent that does not have Nigeria playing a central role,” explains Bauer.
Bauer says that the President Trump's legacy will include protecting Christians around the world, but he will probably never get the credit he deserves.
“The persecution he ended up stopping or causing to go down, because various forces around the world were fearful of what he might do, is something that he'll never really get credit for, unfortunately,” states Bauer.
