The African Union (AU) has firmly countered claims by former U.S. President Donald Trump alleging that Christians in Nigeria are facing “genocide” at the hands of jihadists. Speaking at a press conference in New York on Wednesday, Chair of the African Union Commission, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, stated unequivocally that “there is no genocide in northern Nigeria.”
His remarks follow Trump’s recent declaration that Christians in Nigeria were being slaughtered in “very large numbers,” even threatening a “fast, vicious, and sweet” armed intervention if Abuja failed to stem what he described as an “existential threat” to Christianity in the country.
Youssouf cautioned against such sweeping rhetoric, noting that the conflict dynamics in Nigeria are far more complex than Trump’s narrative suggests.
“The complexity of the situation in northern Nigeria should push us to think twice before making such statements,” he said.
According to the AU chief, Muslims—not Christians—remain the primary victims of Boko Haram, the region’s most notorious jihadist group active since 2009.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation with over 230 million people, is almost evenly split between its Christian south and Muslim north. It continues to grapple with a range of security challenges, including jihadist insurgencies, farmer-herder clashes, and banditry. These conflicts often affect both religious groups indiscriminately.
Since its emergence, Boko Haram’s insurgency has killed more than 40,000 people and displaced over two million, according to United Nations figures.
Youssouf’s clarification is expected to ease rising diplomatic tension as Nigeria pushes back against what it views as politically motivated exaggerations from Washington.