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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the Gaza ceasefire as fragile and repeatedly violated but still holding, calling for immediate negotiations on the agreement's second phase during a joint press conference with African Union leadership in New York on Thursday.
Speaking after a high-level meeting between the UN and African Union at UN headquarters, Guterres urged all parties to fully comply with the ceasefire terms and open pathways toward phase two negotiations that would create conditions for Palestinian self-determination and implementation of a two-state solution.
The secretary-general acknowledged that obstacles and challenges remain in the passage of humanitarian aid into Gaza, though he said the UN has significantly increased assistance deliveries to the territory. He indicated that the Security Council would determine the organization's next steps in the crisis.
African Union Commission Chairman Mahmoud Ali Youssouf used the same platform to flatly reject recent U.S. characterizations of violence in Nigeria, stating that no genocide is occurring against Christians in the country's northern regions.
"First of all, let me say this: there is no genocide in northern Nigeria," Youssouf said, responding to questions about President Donald Trump's claims of Christian massacres in the West African nation.
The AU chairman emphasized that the situation in northern Nigeria bears no resemblance to the atrocities witnessed in Sudan, cautioning against oversimplification of complex regional dynamics. He pointed to documented evidence showing that Boko Haram, the extremist group most active in the region, has primarily targeted Muslims rather than Christians.
"Before making such declarations or statements, we need to think twice," Youssouf said. "What we want to say is that the African continent is very complex. It's not easy to define these situations with words that can be used easily in a way that's not very logical."
Trump designated Nigeria as a "country of particular concern" on Oct. 31, citing alleged Christian massacres, and subsequently warned of potential aid cuts and military action against the country. Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu rejected the designation, describing his nation as a democracy with constitutional guarantees of religious freedom that maintains active dialogue with both Christian and Muslim leaders on security issues affecting all citizens.
The Economic Community of West African States similarly disputed Trump's characterization, noting that terrorist groups in the region target innocent civilians of all faiths, including Muslims, Christians and others.
Turning to Sudan's deteriorating humanitarian situation, Guterres called on the Sudan Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces to engage with his personal representative, Ramtane Lamamra, and take rapid, concrete steps toward a negotiated solution.
The secretary-general described conditions for suffering civilians in Sudan as "absolutely intolerable" and expressed deep concern about increasing insecurity across the Sahel region, where armed groups and terrorist networks exploit fragile governance and inter-community tensions.
Guterres stressed the urgent need to rebuild trust between parties and countries in the region, warning that conflicts in Sudan and other areas pose threats not only to Africa but to the entire international community.
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