Two senior members of the United States Congress, Gregory W. Meeks and Sara Jacobs, have strongly criticized President Donald Trump for threatening to cut off aid and launch military action against Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians.

In a joint statement on Monday, Meeks, a ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Jacobs, a ranking member of the Africa Subcommittee, described Trump’s comments as “irresponsible and reckless.”

The lawmakers also rejected the Trump administration’s designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” saying it oversimplifies the complex nature of violence in the country.

“The designation ignores the reality that clashes between farmers and herders are often driven by resource scarcity and land competition, not religion,” the statement read. “Terrorist groups have targeted both Christians and Muslims, especially in northern Nigeria, where communities continue to face attacks by criminal gangs known as bandits.”

They commended President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to promote interfaith harmony and improve security, noting that “all Nigerians deserve protection.”

Meeks and Jacobs further condemned Trump’s threat to “defend Christians” through possible military intervention, calling it a “reckless response to distorted facts.”

“It is incredibly irresponsible for President Trump to threaten military action. Providing security assistance is one thing; threatening intervention is something else entirely. Such rhetoric risks dragging the United States into another unnecessary conflict,” the lawmakers said.

On Trump’s call to cut off U.S. aid to Nigeria, the lawmakers warned that such a move would hurt vital humanitarian and development efforts.

“Trump’s aid cuts have blocked essential programs that provide emergency nutrition and livelihood support initiatives that are key to preventing the spread of insurgency,” they added.

A drone strike reportedly launched by the Malian Armed Forces (FAMA) has killed more than twenty civilians, including women and children, during a wedding ceremony in the locality of Beydi, between Gossi and Inabaw, in the Timbuktu region.

Counter-insurgrncy analyst, Zagazola Makama, quoted sources to have said that the incident occurred on Thursday when a drone targeted the site of the ceremony, turning what was supposed to be a moment of joy into a tragedy.

Residents described the aftermath as horrific, with mutilated bodies, burned children, and grieving relatives crying in distress amidst the rubble.

The drone came without warning and dropped explosives directly on the wedding gathering. We lost many people men, women, and children.

Sources confirmed that at least 20 civilians were confirmed dead, while several others sustained serious injuries and were rushed to nearby medical facilities.

The Malian authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the incident. However, independent civil society organizations have condemned the strike, describing it as one of the deadliest targeting errors since the junta took power in 2021.

The attack reignited growing concerns about the military’s increasing reliance on aerial strikes in civilian-populated areas amid its ongoing campaign against armed jihadist groups in the north.

The incident comes amid widespread criticism of the junta for alleged human rights abuses and clandestine dealings with jihadist factions linked to Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM).

Northern Mali has remained a flashpoint of violence since 2012 when insurgent and separatist groups seized large swathes of territory. Despite successive military operations, instability persists, with both jihadist and government forces accused of atrocities against civilians.

In recent months, the junta, supported by Russian Wagner Group mercenaries, has intensified drone operations in the Timbuktu and Gao regions, leading to growing fears among locals of indiscriminate attacks.

The Beydi strike risks deepening mistrust between communities and the armed forces, potentially fuelling recruitment for extremist groups.

[Credit: Zagazola Makama]

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan condemned protests around the election in which she was declared winner on Saturday with almost 98 per cent of the vote, while the opposition said hundreds have been killed by security forces.

The electoral commission said Hassan won 97.66 per cent of the vote, with turnout at 87 per cent, despite reports from AFP journalists and other observers that polling stations were largely empty.

Hassan, 65, had sought to cement her position and silence critics in her party with an emphatic victory, helped by the main opposition candidates being either jailed or disqualified.

But a heavy crackdown and the lack of options sparked mass protests around the country.

“The government strongly condemns and denounces those incidents,” said Hassan as she accepted a winner’s certificate on state television.

“When it comes to the national security… there is no alternative but to employ all defence measures.”

The main opposition party, Chadema, told AFP “no less than 800 people” have been killed by security forces since Wednesday.

A security source and a diplomat in Dar es Salaam both told AFP that deaths were “in the hundreds”, but verifying information remained difficult as an internet blackout was still in place Saturday.

The election result is a “mockery of the democratic process,” Chadema spokesman John Kitoka told AFP, calling for a “fresh election”.

“We are going to announce our reaction that could also include calling for national protests,” he added.

Father Charles Kitima, secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference in Dar es Salaam, said Tanzania has become a “totalitarian regime”.

“It’s a very sad event. For the first time in our country, we are experiencing the mass killing of people protesting,” he told AFP by phone.

The African Union chair Mahmoud Ali Youssouf congratulated Hassan in a statement but said he “deeply regrets the loss of human life”.

Tourists have been stranded by cancelled flights, and the main port at Dar es Salaam — a major economic lifeline for the country — was shuttered, according to data from tracker Vessel Finder and Dutch shipping firm C. Steinweg.

There were reports Saturday of spiking food prices as shops ran low on supplies, petrol stations were closed and public transport halted.

“I have been staying in the mosque since Wednesday when the violence erupted,” Mohamed Rajab, a 52-year-old in Dar es Salaam, told AFP.

“There is no transport. I’m not sure when I’m going back home.”

‘Wave Of Terror’

Hassan was elevated from vice-president on the sudden death of her predecessor, John Magufuli, in 2021.

Rights groups say she oversaw a “wave of terror” in the East African nation ahead of the vote, including a string of high-profile abductions that escalated in the final days.

Chadema was barred from taking part in the election, and its leader put on trial for treason.

Despite a heavy security presence, election day descended into chaos as crowds took to the streets across the country, tearing down her posters and attacking police and polling stations, leading to an internet shutdown and curfew.

Hassan’s government denies using “excessive force”.

But UN chief Antonio Guterres was “deeply concerned” about the situation in Tanzania, “including reports of deaths and injuries during the demonstrations,” according to his spokesman.

Much public anger has been directed at Hassan’s son, Abdul Halim Hafidh Ameir, accused of overseeing the pre-election crackdown.

There have been unconfirmed reports of the army siding with protesters in some places, but army chief Jacob Mkunda came out strongly on Hassan’s side on Thursday, calling the protesters “criminals”.

Foreign Minister Mahmoud Thabit Kombo said Friday that his government had “no figures” on any dead.

“Currently, no excessive force has been used,” he said in an interview with Al Jazeera. “There’s no number until now of any protesters killed.”