The United States government warned on Saturday that Nigeria and other African countries face increased terrorism threats from “radical Islamic” groups in the region.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while addressing the press in Rome a day after visiting Pope Leo, noted the pontiff’s recent visit to Africa, which he called “a very important continent.”
Highlighting the growing security conditions faced by Christians in Africa, Mr Rubio raised concerns that many of them “are threatened or feel threatened by the spread of radical Islamic terrorism.”
The diplomat said the purpose of his meeting with the pontiff was to hear his observations on “the plight of Christians in Africa” during his 10-day visit to the continent. Mr Leo visited Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea to strengthen interfaith dialogue and peacebuilding.
“That was the purpose of our meeting,” said Mr Rubio. “And it was a good meeting because we were able to talk about these different areas in the world where they have a presence, where they are engaged, and we are as well.”
He added that the meeting was to “find opportunities to either continue cooperating where that already exists, like in Cuba, or expand our cooperation in other places where it makes sense.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said during a Security Council meeting in November last year that the growth of terrorist groups in Africa was “not only a regional dramatic reality.”
Four million people in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and neighbouring countries were displaced due to “expanding terrorist networks” in the region, said the UN chief.
In recent times, the United States has been campaigning against “Christian genocide” in Nigeria, with senators proposing a “Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act” that would target government officials facilitating the murder of Christians.
On October 31, 2025, United States President Donald Trump declared Nigeria a Country of Particular Concernfollowing condemnation of the “Christian genocide” in Nigeria.
Less than two months later, the U.S. military carried out a series of air strikes against terrorist targets in the northern part of Nigeria.
The North-West, Nigeria’s most populous zone, and the North-East have faced Boko Haram and banditryfor over a decade. Meanwhile, the North-Central region also suffers from terrorist attacks.
On April 21, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz accused the Nigerian government of complicity in the murder of Christians in the northern part of the country.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu’s government has repeatedly denied Christians’ genocide in Nigeria, and the Christian Association of Nigeria affirmed the U.S. position, urging the international community to intervene.
Nigeria ranked fourth in the global terrorism index by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), recording a 46 per cent increase in deaths from terrorism in 2025.
It said the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram were responsible for 80 per cent of all terrorism deaths in Nigeria during the period.
