HARARE, November 8. /TASS/. The African Union (AU) has expressed support for Nigeria which the United States accused of a "Christian genocide" and threatened with a military operation.

The African Union Commission (AUC) "notes 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 organization said in a statement.

"The AUC emphasizes the following: 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 statement reads.

"AUC urges external partners, including the United States, to engage Nigeria through diplomatic dialogue, intelligence-sharing, and capacity-building partnerships, 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 organization concluded.

On November 1, US President Donald Trump announced that he had instructed the Pentagon to prepare possible military measures against "Islamic terrorists" in Nigeria to protect Christians. Earlier he claimed that the Christians in Nigeria were subjected to an existential threat and vowed to protect them. That same day, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu refuted Trump’s accusations by saying that the portrayal of Nigeria as a country of religious intolerance is inaccurate and ignores the measures taken by authorities to protect freedom of religion and conscience for all Nigerians. According to him, Abuja maintains an open and active dialogue with Christian and Islamic leaders and continues to address the security challenges that threaten citizens regardless of their religious background.