AU to US: Respect Nigeria’s sovereignty, stop ‘unilateral threats’

The African Union (AU) Commission says the US must “respect the sovereignty of Nigeria” and engage in “diplomatic dialogue” to address the country’s insecurity, rather than issuing “unilateral threats of military intervention”.

The AU’s comment follows the redesignation of Nigeria by US President Donald Trump as a ‘country of particular concern’ over allegations of “Christian genocide” and his subsequent threat of military action to “wipe out Islamic terrorists”.

In a statement on Friday, the AU commission said it has “noted with concern ‘recent statements by the United States of America alleging that the Government of Nigeria is complicit in the targeted killing of Christians and threatening military action.'”

The commission rejected narratives that “oversimplify the challenges” by attributing violence solely to religious motives, warning that such perspectives could “destabilise communities”.

“The AUC emphasises the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a longstanding and valued Member State of the African Union, playing a key role in regional stability, counterterrorism, peacekeeping initiatives, and continental integration.

“The AUC fully respects Nigeria’s sovereign right to manage its internal affairs… Any external engagement must respect Nigeria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and unity,” the statement reads.

The commission urged external partners, including the US, to prioritise “diplomatic engagement, intelligence-sharing, and capacity-building initiatives over unilateral military threats.”

“AUC urges external partners, including the United States, to engage Nigeria through diplomatic dialogue… while respecting Nigerian sovereignty rather than resorting to unilateral threats of military intervention, which could undermine continental peace, regional stability, and AU norms for peaceful conflict management,” the statement added.