The Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Mahmoud Youssouf, has publicly rejected the narrative of a “Christian genocide” in northern Nigeria, stating there is no evidence of targeted killings of Christians that warrants the use of the term genocide.
Speaking at the United Nations headquarters, Youssouf asserted that the security situation is complex and that Muslims were the earliest victims of the Boko Haram insurgency, cautioning international actors against oversimplifying the crisis.
The AU Commission has consistently maintained that the violence, primarily driven by extremist groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP, impacts both Muslims and Christians and is not a religious genocide.
The first victims of Boko Haram are Muslims, not Christians. And I’m saying it with documented references – Youssouf
The AU’s denial directly contradicts actions taken by the US administration. Following calls from a group of US lawmakers, President Donald Trump recently redesignated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern (CPC)” over allegations of Christian persecution. This designation opens the door for potential sanctions and the risk of losing US aid if the situation is not addressed.
The Nigerian federal government has consistently rejected the allegations, arguing that the violence comes from terrorism and criminal activities rather than a campaign against a particular faith.
Despite the AU and government position, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) maintains that Christian communities have experienced repeated and deadly attacks in several parts of the country. Advocacy groups backing the US stance claim that tens of thousands of Christians have been killed since 2009.
Leave a comment