AU Chief dismisses Trump’s genocide claim, says Nigeria faces complex security crisis

AU Chief dismisses Trump’s genocide claim, says Nigeria faces complex security crisis

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, has dismissed claims by U.S. President Donald Trump that Christians in northern Nigeria are facing genocide, describing the situation instead as a complex security crisis affecting all communities.

Trump had earlier this month accused the Nigerian government of allowing “radical Islamists” to slaughter Christians “in very large numbers” and warned that the United States might launch a swift military intervention if the violence continued.

But speaking during a press conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Wednesday, Youssouf rejected the genocide narrative, saying such statements risk oversimplifying and inflaming an already fragile situation.

“There is no genocide in northern Nigeria,” Youssouf said. “The complexity of the situation in northern Nigeria should push us to think twice before making such statements.”

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He emphasised that the ongoing violence in the region — driven by Boko Haram and other militant groups — has claimed victims from all religious backgrounds.

“The first victims of Boko Haram are Muslims, not Christians,” he stressed.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation with over 230 million people, is roughly divided between a Christian-majority south and a Muslim-majority north. The country continues to grapple with multiple security challenges, including jihadist insurgencies, communal clashes, and banditry, which have displaced millions and claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Since its emergence in 2009, the Boko Haram insurgency has killed more than 40,000 people and displaced over two million, according to United Nations data.

Analysts warn that inflammatory rhetoric from world leaders could further complicate peace efforts in the region.

Youssouf urged global powers to support Nigeria through cooperation, intelligence sharing, and humanitarian assistance, rather than threats of military action, in addressing what he called “a shared continental challenge.”

AU Chief dismisses Trump’s genocide claim, says Nigeria faces complex security crisis