Soyinka: Don’t Simplify Nigeria’s Crisis as Religious War – Trump’s Comments Inflame Tensions
Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka has intervened in the debate sparked by former US President Donald Trump’s threat of military action in Nigeria, urging a clear separation of the nation’s complex internal problems from Trump’s recent response. Soyinka argued that framing the security crisis as a religious war is a dangerous oversimplification that empowers extremists and complicates the path to peace.
Key Points:
Wole Soyinka stated Nigeria’s internal crises must be separated from Trump’s recent remarks.
He warned that Trump’s “sweeping statements” distort reality and risk inflaming religious tensions.
Soyinka identified the root cause as politicians weaponizing religion, not a Christian-Muslim war.
He cited the lynching of a student for blasphemy, whose killers went free, as an example of impunity.
The playwright revealed his US visa was revoked due to his criticism of the Trump administration.
He defended comparing Trump to Idi Amin, stating both were “men of war and brutality.”
Soyinka’s comments have sparked polarized reactions, with many accusing him of tribal bias.
This intervention challenges a dominant but reductive narrative, framing the conflict as a fight against political Islamists and extremist impunity, rather than a monolithic religious war.