Olushola Omogbehin
The African Union Commission (AUC) has rejected the recent statement by the U.S. President Donald Trump threatening military action against Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians.
This was revealed a press release issued on Friday through the commission’s official X account where it underscored the need to respect Nigeria’s sovereignty, religious freedom, the rule of law and right to manage its internal affairs without interference.
According to the statement: “The Federal Republic of Nigeria is a longstanding and valued member state of the African Union, playing a key role in regional stability, counter-terrorism, peacekeeping initiatives, and continental integration.”
The commission maintained that any engagement with Nigeria or any African nation must respect its sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity.
“The AUC fully respects Nigeria’s sovereign right to manage its internal affairs, including security, religious freedom, and human rights, in line with its Constitution and international obligations.”
It went further to say that Nigeria faces complex security challenges affecting citizens of all faiths, including violent extremism, banditry, and communal violence. Conflating all violence with a single religious narrative may hinder effective solutions and destabilize communities.
Calling for international cooperation to strengthen regional peace and security, it warned that unilateral military threats or interventions by external powers could undermine stability on the continent.
“The AUC urges external partners, including the United States, to engage Nigeria through diplomatic dialogue, intelligence-sharing, and capacity-building partnerships. Resorting to unilateral threats of military intervention would only weaken peace efforts and contradict the principles of peaceful conflict management,” it said.
Finally, the Commission restated its readiness to assist Nigeria through its peace and security mechanisms and capacity-building initiatives, emphasizing that Africa remains committed to homegrown solutions to its challenges.
