The U.S. is drafting a proposal that includes weighing possible military engagement in Nigeria, a senior State Department official said this week.

The discussion comes weeks after President Donald Trump threatened military action in Africa’s most populous country over the alleged persecution of Christians by Islamic insurgent groups.

The Trump administration may also choose to escalate its pressure campaign by less dramatic means, including through imposing sanctions, Jonathan Pratt, a senior bureau official for African Affairs at the State Department, testified to the House Foreign Affairs Committee .

The White House casts its overall objective as safeguarding religious liberties.

“The Trump administration is developing a plan to incentivize and compel the Nigerian government to bet

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