The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has dismissed claims of genocide against any religious group in the region, arguing that such labels are aimed at distorting cohesion in the bloc.
ECOWAS, in a communique on late Tuesday, said the claims are targeted at worsening insecurity in the West African region.
“Perpetrators of this violence target innocent civilians of all religious denominations including Muslims, Christians, and adherents to other religions. As independent reports have confirmed over the years, terrorist-related violence does not discriminate on the basis of gender, religion, ethnicity or age,” the regional bloc wrote in the communique posted on its X handle.
“ECOWAS calls on the United Nations and all partners to support Member States in their fight against these groups and to treat as false any claims that these terrorist groups target one group, or that there is a genocide of one religious group in the region. ECOWAS strongly rejects these false and dangerous claims that seek to deepen insecurity in communities and weaken social cohesion in the region.
“ECOWAS calls on the whole world to stand by the countries in the region in their fight against terrorism that targets all communities.”
The comment came after President Donald Trump of the US designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over claims of genocide targeted at Christians.
He vowed military action if the Nigerian government did not resolve the issue.
“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities,” he said on Truth Social.
“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet.”
But the Federal Government has denied the claims, saying it is committed to religious freedom.