United States President Donald Trump Has Declared That Terrorists Blamed For The Deaths Of Thousands Of Christians In Nigeria Are Being Aggressively Targeted, Saying His Administration Has Struck Them “Very Hard.”

Trump Made The Remarks On Thursday While Speaking At The Unveiling Of His New “Board Of Peace” Initiative — A Conflict-Resolution Platform With A Reported $1 Billion Permanent Membership Fee.

Speaking Broadly On Global Security Challenges, Trump Singled Out Nigeria, Claiming U.S. Actions Were Already Having Impact Against Militant Groups Operating In The Country.

And In Nigeria, We’re Annihilating Terrorists Who Are Killing Christians. We’ve Hit Them Very Hard. They’ve Killed Thousands And Thousands Of Christians,” He Said.

The U.S. President’s Latest Comments Add To Earlier Criticism He Directed At The Nigerian Government Over Insecurity And Religious Violence.

In November, Trump Described The Killing Of Christians In Nigeria As “Genocide,” Accusing Authorities Of Failing To Halt Attacks By Extremist Groups.

During A Conservative Radio Interview Later Amplified In U.S. Media Reports, Trump Said The Situation Was Unacceptable And Insisted The Deaths Were Happening On A Large Scale.

“Nigeria Is A Disgrace. The Whole Thing Is A Disgrace,” He Said. “They’re Killing People By The Thousands. It’s A Genocide, And I’m Really Angry About It.”

Trump Also Repeated His Administration’s Stance That Nigeria Remains A “Country Of Particular Concern” Over Alleged Religious Persecution, Warning That Washington Could Escalate Pressure If Conditions Do Not Improve.

He Threatened To Cut Off U.S. Support, Arguing That Nigeria Benefits Significantly From American Funding.

“We Give A Lot Of Subsidies To Nigeria. We’re Going To End Up Stopping,” He Said.

Trump Further Suggested That Military Action Against Islamist Militant Groups Remains An Option If Nigeria “Does Not Do More” To Protect Christian Communities.