The head of the African Union Commission has rejected claims by US President Donald Trump that Christians are being killed in a genocide in northern Nigeria, telling a UN forum in New York that such characterizations distort a far more complex security crisis.

Speaking alongside UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf insisted that the African Union had already clarified its position and urged caution in the language used to describe conflicts unfolding across the continent.

“There is no genocide in northern Nigeria,” Youssouf said. “We have issued a communique making clear that what's going on in the northern part of Nigeria has nothing to do with the kind of atrocities we see in Sudan or in some part of eastern DRC.”

He added that extremist violence in Nigeria’s north, largely driven by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), has affected both Muslims and Christians.

“I think the complexity of the situation in northern Nigeria should push us to think twice before declaring or making such statements,” Youssouf said. “The first victims of Boko Haram are Muslims, not Christians, the first victims, and I’m saying it with documented references.”

Youssouf said the African Union was concerned that simplified narratives could misrepresent the underlying drivers of violence, which include terrorism, displacement, and local competition over land and resources.

The AU’s remarks come amid growing international debate following Trump’s comments this month alleging religiously motivated killings in northern Nigeria and warning that the US could consider “military options” to protect Christian minorities.

Trump’s remarks sparked widespread debate after he said “very large numbers” of Christians were being slaughtered in Nigeria.

Abuja has consistently rejected such claims, saying the violence in northern states stems from terrorism and criminal networks, not a campaign to target a specific religious group. (ANADOLU AGENCY)