By Fatima Mukhtar
A United States foreign policy expert, Walid Phares, has advised President Donald Trump to establish an emergency military base in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, over what he described as a growing “Christian genocide” crisis in Nigeria.
Phares, who once served as an adviser on Middle East affairs, said Port Harcourt would serve as a strategic location for U.S. humanitarian and security operations in West Africa. He argued that the base could support rapid response efforts against terrorist networks such as Boko Haram and Islamic State–linked groups.
According to him, the proposed base would “help monitor and protect Christian communities under threat in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and southern regions,” and would also demonstrate America’s renewed interest in African security under Trump’s leadership.
The suggestion comes amid heightened diplomatic tension between Abuja and Washington following Trump’s earlier warning that the United States might suspend aid or consider military intervention if the Nigerian government fails to protect Christians from extremist attacks.
The Nigerian government, however, has repeatedly dismissed the genocide allegations as false and politically motivated. Officials insist that insecurity in the country affects citizens of all faiths, stressing that the violence is driven by terrorists and criminal gangs, not religion.
Analysts warn that any move to establish a U.S. base in Nigeria could trigger diplomatic friction, raise sovereignty concerns, and reshape security relations in the Gulf of Guinea region.
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