Alleged Genocide: AU Rejects CAN, Trump Claims, Speaks About Muslims vs Boko Haram
- African Union said claims of Christian genocide in northern Nigeria were unsupported and oversimplified
- The chairman, AU, Mahmoud Youssouf stressed Muslims were the earliest victims of Boko Haram despite global narratives
- US political pressure intensified after lawmakers and Trump cited alleged persecution in Nigeria
The Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Mahmoud Youssouf, has dismissed claims that Christians are being deliberately targeted and killed in northern Nigeria, insisting that available evidence does not support allegations of genocide.
Speaking to journalists at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Youssouf said the popular narrative describing the security situation as a “Christian genocide” fails to reflect the complexity of the region’s long-running conflict.
Source: Getty Images
AU identifies Muslims as earliest victims
Youssouf stressed that the earliest and most widespread victims of Boko Haram’s violent insurgency were Muslims, not Christians.
“The first victims of Boko Haram are Muslims, not Christians. And I’m saying it with documented references,” he said.
He urged caution in the use of politically charged or simplistic descriptions of the crisis.
“The complexity of the northern part of Nigeria should not be taken that easily. The African continent is very complex… that is why the AU Commission is very clear about that. We would like to stress again that there is no genocide in northern Nigeria," he noted
Genocide: International narratives fuel fresh tensions
In recent years, claims of a Christian genocide in Nigeria have gained global traction, especially among political groups in the United States. These assertions have repeatedly surfaced in traditional and social media, often without supporting evidence.
A group of US lawmakers recently wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, calling for diplomatic pressure on the Nigerian government over alleged “systematic persecution and slaughter of Christians.”
Trump redesignates Nigeria amid pressure
Following the lawmakers’ intervention, US President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern (CPC)” over claims of Christian persecution. He warned that Nigeria risked losing US assistance if the government failed to curb religious-based attacks.
The federal government has consistently rejected the allegations, describing them as misrepresentations of a broader security crisis driven by terrorism, banditry and communal conflict.
CAN insists attacks on Christians persist
Source: Twitter
Despite the AU’s position, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) maintains that Christian communities have suffered repeated and deadly attacks across several states.
CAN continues to insist that the pattern of violence in certain regions suggests targeted aggression. However, the AU says it will continue to monitor the situation while calling for accurate, evidence-based reporting on the crisis.
Invasion threats: Northern CAN speaks
Previously, Legit.ng reported that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern states and Abuja has called for calm, unity, and collective action.
This follows the United States President Donald Trump’s comments on alleged Christian persecution in Nigeria.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday, November 4, the chairman of Northern CAN, Reverend John Hayab, urged Nigerians not to interpret Trump’s remarks as a call for conflict, but rather as an opportunity to unite against killings and religious intolerance.
Source: Legit.ng
