African Union official rejects allegations of genocide in Nigeria amid crisis
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Nigeria’s deepening crisis is coming under new international scrutiny after a senior African Union official rejected claims of Christian genocide – a statement that sparked sharp reactions from Washington.
The conflict comes amid a years-long wave of killings, kidnappings and attacks on villages in northern and central Nigeria that Christian communities say has reached crisis level.
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At least 51 Christians have been killed in another attack in Nigeria’s Plateau State. (Reuters)
Asked by a reporter about President Donald Trump’s recent threats against Nigeria over the persecution of Christians, African Union Commission Chairman Mahmoud Ali Youssouf rejected allegations of genocide, telling United Nations reporters: “Let me first say this: There is no genocide in northern Nigeria. Youssouf continued from the podium at UN headquarters: “We have issued a communication making it clear that what is happening in the northern part of Nigeria has nothing to do with the kind of atrocities we see in Sudan or in parts of eastern DRC.”
He continued: “The first victims of Boko Haram are Muslims, not Christians, and I say this with documented references. Youssouf said the situation is “extremely complex,” warning international actors not to reduce it to a single narrative. “The complexity of the situation in northern Nigeria should not be taken lightly, nor described in too simple language,” he said, emphasizing once again: “There is no genocide in northern Nigeria.”
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Funeral of some 27 Christians believed to have been killed by members of the Islamist Fulani tribe in the village of Bindi Ta-hoss, Nigeria. (International Christian Solidarity)
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas warned of a public relations campaign by the government in Abuja to combat the accusations.
“Nigerian officials know that their policies have created an environment in which Christians are persecuted and massacred, including by enforcing Sharia law and tolerating Islamist violence. Instead of reversing these policies, they are waging a media campaign to avoid denunciation and accountability. I intend to stop them.
Senator Ted Cruz listens during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on March 23, 2021. (Greg Nash/Pool via AP)
The White House also responded in very different terms. A senior official told Fox News Digital: “As the president has stated, if the Nigerian government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the United States will immediately cease all aid to Nigeria and may take steps to completely eliminate Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrific atrocities.” The official added that President Trump designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern” and ordered the War Department to prepare for possible action.
Women and children held captive by Islamist extremists and rescued by the Nigerian military are seen upon arrival in Maiduguri, Nigeria, May 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jossy Olatunji)
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On Capitol Hill, some lawmakers are pushing for even stricter measures. Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., said the United States could take a range of actions — including sanctions and “even kinetic military action” — in response to what he called the “genocide” of Christians in Nigeria. Trump appointed Moore, a member of the Appropriations Committee, along with Chairman Tom Cole, Republican of Oklahoma, to lead an investigation into the killing of Christians by Islamist militants in the African country.
On Wednesday, Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, addressed the issue in response to a question from Fox News Digital during the daily press briefing on the persecution of Christians in Nigeria – and asked whether the secretary-general supported President Trump’s warning that Nigeria must act or face the consequences. Dujarric said: “We believe that the Nigerian government is grappling with an insurgency that is killing people, whether they are Muslims, Christians or others, and I believe that any necessary assistance must be provided with the cooperation of the Nigerian authorities.”
