The Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, has dismissed claims by former United States President Donald Trump that Christians in northern Nigeria are facing genocide. Youssouf clarified that while Nigeria continues to battle terrorism and communal violence, there is no evidence of a targeted genocide against Christians in the region.
Speaking at a press conference in New York on Wednesday, November 12, the AU chief urged world leaders and global media to exercise restraint and accuracy when commenting on sensitive security situations in Africa. He emphasized that the Nigerian crisis is complex and multidimensional, involving political, ethnic, and socio-economic factors, rather than being driven solely by religious persecution.
“The complexity of the situation in northern Nigeria should push us to think twice before making such statements,” Youssouf cautioned. “There is no genocide in northern Nigeria. What exists are long-standing issues of insecurity and terrorism that affect all communities — Muslims and Christians alike.”
His remarks came in response to comments made earlier in the week by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who claimed that Nigerian Christians were being “slaughtered by jihadists” and that the situation represented an “existential threat” to Christianity in Africa’s most populous nation. Trump also hinted that the U.S. might consider an armed intervention to “defend Nigerian Christians” from what he described as ongoing religious persecution.
In his statement, Trump alleged that “radical Islamists are killing Christians in very large numbers,” referring to attacks attributed to Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), two extremist groups operating in Nigeria’s northeastern region.
However, the AU Chair firmly rejected the characterization of the violence as a Christian genocide, describing it instead as a humanitarian crisis affecting Nigerians of all faiths. “The first victims of Boko Haram are Muslims, not Christians,” Youssouf stated. “The group’s ideology has been destructive to all, and they have killed thousands of Muslims, displaced communities, and destroyed mosques alongside churches.”
He noted that Boko Haram and other militant groups have consistently targeted Muslims who refuse to adhere to their extremist doctrines, often labeling them as “infidels” or “traitors.” Youssouf explained that such groups have killed imams, attacked Muslim-majority towns, and forced both Christians and Muslims to flee their homes, leading to massive internal displacement.
The AU chief’s comments reflect a broader concern among African leaders about the narrative that portrays religious violence in Nigeria as a one-sided assault against Christians. He said such narratives risk deepening divisions and could further polarize Nigerian communities that are already under severe strain from poverty, unemployment, and insecurity.
“Framing this crisis as a religious war is misleading and dangerous,” Youssouf continued. “It ignores the underlying causes — such as governance challenges, corruption, climate change, and lack of opportunities — that have allowed extremist ideologies to thrive. These problems affect Nigerians of every faith and ethnicity.”
He also called on international actors, including the United States, to collaborate with the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the Nigerian government to find lasting solutions to terrorism in the region. “We need cooperation, not confrontation. Nigeria is a sovereign nation with its institutions, and the fight against terrorism is ongoing. The AU stands ready to work with all partners, including the U.S., in a manner that respects Nigeria’s sovereignty,” he said.
Youssouf’s clarification comes at a time when northern Nigeria continues to experience a wave of insecurity, including attacks by Boko Haram insurgents, banditry in the northwest, and communal clashes between farmers and herders across the Middle Belt. While these conflicts have religious dimensions, analysts say they are largely driven by resource competition, poverty, and weak state presence rather than deliberate attempts to wipe out a particular religious group.
Security analysts have often warned that labeling the situation as “genocide” could have grave implications for international diplomacy. It could also create unnecessary panic among Nigeria’s large Christian and Muslim populations, who have coexisted for decades despite periodic outbreaks of violence.
“The AU’s position is consistent with reports from Nigerian authorities, local NGOs, and international observers who have repeatedly stated that both Christians and Muslims have suffered heavily from terrorism and banditry,” said Dr. Ibrahim Musa, a conflict researcher based in Abuja. “The victims cut across all religious lines, and calling it genocide against Christians oversimplifies a very complex conflict.”
Musa added that Boko Haram’s terror campaign has killed over 35,000 people and displaced more than two million, most of whom are Muslims from Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states. “In many of these communities, the mosques destroyed outnumber the churches. The insurgents see both Christians and Muslims who reject their ideology as enemies,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has not officially responded to Trump’s recent statements, but officials within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have privately described the comments as “reckless” and “uninformed.” A senior ministry source told reporters that such remarks could strain diplomatic relations and inflame sectarian tensions.
“The government of Nigeria has always maintained that terrorism in our country is not a religious war but a criminal and extremist movement that threatens everyone,” the source said. “Our security agencies continue to receive support from the AU, ECOWAS, and international partners to ensure peace returns to affected communities.”
Human rights organizations have also backed the AU’s position. Amnesty International’s Nigeria office stated that while attacks on Christians have occurred, they do not amount to genocide. Instead, the rights group described the situation as a “widespread pattern of insecurity affecting multiple groups indiscriminately.”
“The victims are Nigerians — Christians, Muslims, and others — who are being failed by the state’s inability to protect them,” Amnesty’s spokesperson said.
In his concluding remarks, Youssouf appealed to both local and foreign leaders to avoid language that could inflame religious sentiments or destabilize Nigeria’s fragile peace. “We must resist the temptation to frame every African security challenge in religious terms,” he said. “What is happening in northern Nigeria is tragic and demands action — but it is not genocide. It is terrorism, and terrorism does not discriminate.”
He reaffirmed the AU’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s ongoing counterterrorism and peacebuilding efforts, emphasizing that only unity and inclusive governance can end the cycle of violence.
“As Africans, we must work together to defeat extremism and rebuild communities torn apart by fear,” Youssouf said. “This requires partnership, not provocation.”
The AU’s statement is expected to ease diplomatic tensions between African governments and the United States, following Trump’s controversial remarks. It also reinforces the AU’s position that African crises must be addressed through dialogue, cooperation, and regional leadership — not external military intervention.
For now, the African Union’s message is clear: northern Nigeria’s security crisis is real and devastating, but it is not genocide — and simplifying it as such risks undermining the complex realities on the ground.
