the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Jan 5, 2026
This article is translated from the January 2 issue, #2996 of Lutte Ouvrière (Workers Struggle), the paper of the Trotskyist group of that name active in France.
The U.S. military claims to have bombed a jihadist group in northwestern Nigeria on December 25. Donald Trump justified the bombing by portraying himself as a modern-day crusader protecting Christians all over the world.
Trump posted “Merry Christmas” on social media to everyone, including any dead alleged terrorists. He had already announced he would target perpetrators of atrocities against “Christians” everywhere. “Tonight, they paid,” he rejoiced the day after the operation.
But the Nigerian government’s version is slightly different. Nigeria’s foreign minister stated this was a joint operation between the Nigerian and American militaries, “having nothing to do with any particular religion.” In fact, behind his medieval rhetoric, Trump is primarily defending the interests of American imperialism.
Northern Nigerian farmers live in abject poverty, and they have long been plagued by armed groups. This area is even more neglected than most parts of Nigeria, whose oil resources allow it to rival South Africa for the title of sub-Saharan Africa’s leading economic power. The North was once a stronghold of the Boko Haram jihadists. But instead of religious motivations, today’s armed bands mostly seek to profit from kidnapping. For example, on December 28, bandits kidnapped travelers in Plateau State and demanded almost a thousand dollars in ransom.
Trump uses the supposed fight against terrorist groups as a pretext to pressure the Nigerian government. In early November, he accused Nigeria of tolerating the killing of Christians and threatened to intervene militarily. A U.S. surveillance aircraft constantly patrols the country and U.S. ships in the Gulf of Guinea are ready to open fire.
This military deployment has no effect on the lawlessness which increasingly plagues the country, but it reflects the increased influence of the U.S. in Africa. For example, the U.S. is negotiating to gain control of mineral resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
This attack also provides another opportunity for Trump to let the world’s leaders and people know that he can bomb whomever he wants, whenever he wants, with impunity—and that he does not hesitate to do so.