Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has criticised former U.S. President Donald Trump over his recent threat to deploy American troops to Nigeria, describing the remarks as reckless and lacking any real understanding of the country’s security complexities.
Soyinka spoke on Friday after a meeting with Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia in Makurdi, where he addressed Trump’s claim that he would intervene militarily if attacks on Christians in Nigeria continued.
According to Soyinka, such pronouncements ignore the layered, deeply rooted causes of insecurity in the country.
“You don’t just open your mouth and say, ‘I’m coming to help you whether you like it or not… I’m coming with violence from outside,’ without any meaningful analysis of the complexities of the problem,” he said.
He criticised Trump’s rhetoric, especially the promise of a rapid and forceful intervention.
“And you say, ‘I’m coming to help you, I’m coming with guns a-blazing… it’s going to be fast, vicious and swift.’ Is that the language of somebody whose head is correct?” Soyinka added.
The Nobel laureate noted that while government has a duty to protect citizens, discussions around insecurity must show respect for victims and for those working to address the crisis.
Trump had on October 31 redesignated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged killings of Christians and warned that U.S. forces might intervene if the situation persisted. The Nigerian government dismissed the claim as inaccurate and unreflective of the country’s realities.
On Thursday, U.S. lawmakers, religious leaders, State Department officials, and advocacy groups presented differing positions at a congressional hearing on Trump’s designation.
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