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By Ilyass Chirac Poumie
The American strikes against terrorist groups in Nigeria are, in our view, a necessary response to a threat that has persisted for far too long. President Donald Trump’s actions, in Nigeria as recently in Syria, demonstrate a clear determination to fight terrorism directly, while many others have hidden behind empty rhetoric and superficial condemnations.
If we truly want to eradicate terrorism, we must strike and dismantle all of its bases, strongholds, and sanctuaries, wherever they may be. As long as these organizations have refuge, resources, and collaborators, they will continue to inflict grief on entire populations, particularly in Africa.
At some point, we must also have the courage to face reality. The selective and constant invocation of human rights cannot serve as a pretext for inaction. Against groups that massacre, kidnap, and terrorize with no regard for human life, the priority must be the definitive neutralization of the threat.
We urge the “last-minute” pan-Africanists to stop whining and abandon easy slogans. Terrorism cannot be fought with ideological incantations or selective indignation. It requires concrete, firm, and resolute action. Closing one’s eyes or systematically condemning those who act is, in effect, to accept that our populations will continue to die.
We also believe that Donald Trump should extend this logic of action to other situations where populations have long suffered, such as in Cameroon, where a president has been in power for 44 years. Similar to his actions in Venezuela, it is time to put pressure on regimes that keep their people in oppression and poverty, thereby directly fueling migration to the United States and other countries where life is better.
It is worth recalling that many imperialist countries have indirectly supported terrorism by turning a blind eye or facilitating the circulation of weapons and resources that fuel these groups. President Trump’s action in Nigeria shows that the United States, in this specific case, has never supported terrorism and is capable of acting directly to combat it wherever it exists. Nigeria has faced over a decade of terrorist violence that has caused thousands of deaths and massive population displacement.
The United States has recently intensified its targeted strikes against these groups, as well as against armed organizations in Syria. Under President Donald Trump, the American strategy favors a direct and coercive military approach, already implemented against regimes like Venezuela, with the stated goal of sustainably reducing perceived security and political threats.
