ISWAP reacts to Trump’s threat, issues directive to fighters, calls for Muslims unity

The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has reacted to reported comments by United States President, Donald Trump, suggesting a possible American military operation against the group in Nigeria over alleged Christian genocide’s.

In a propaganda statement distributed via its usual media outlets, the extremist faction branded Trump a “reckless American tyrant,” claiming he was influenced by “evangelical Christian and Jewish advisers” during his time in office.

According to a report by counter-insurgency analyst Zagozola Makama, ISWAP reportedly accused the U.S. of trying to position itself as a “global defender of Christians.”

The group alleged that such rhetoric could draw Washington into fresh conflicts across Africa, including in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique, both of which have witnessed deadly militant attacks.

ISWAP said this development fits within what it called the Islamic State movement’s broader strategy to stretch U.S. military resources thin across several regions. It pointed to Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan, and the Lake Chad Basin as areas where American forces could become overextended if they intervene.

The group also instructed its fighters to avoid public gatherings, limit movement, and minimize smartphone use, citing fears of heightened U.S. surveillance and drone operations. Similar warnings, it said, were issued to other Islamic State branches worldwide.

In the same message, ISWAP urged Muslims in West Africa to “unite” and take the alleged U.S. threat seriously, accusing Western nations of “crimes against African Muslims.”