Following reported comments by U.S. President Donald Trump about potential military operations in Nigeria, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has issued a statement urging West African Muslims to unite and brace for heightened conflict.
According to security analyst Zagazola Makama, ISWAP released the message through its usual communication channels, describing Trump as a “reckless American tyrant.” The group claimed his remarks were influenced by “evangelical Christian and Jewish advisers” and framed them as part of a U.S. effort to present itself as a “global defender of Christians,” Makama noted on his X page.
The extremist group further alleged that such rhetoric could draw the U.S. into new conflicts in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique, where militant attacks have already caused significant casualties. ISWAP described this as part of a broader strategy by the Islamic State movement to stretch U.S. military resources across multiple conflict zones.
Citing battlefields in Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan, and the Lake Chad Basin, ISWAP claimed Washington risks becoming overextended if it decides to intervene militarily.
The group also issued operational directives to its fighters, urging them to avoid large gatherings, limit movement, and reduce smartphone use, citing possible increases in U.S. surveillance and drone operations. The warning was extended to other Islamic State affiliates worldwide.
In its statement, ISWAP called on Muslims in West Africa to “unite” and take the alleged U.S. threat seriously, accusing Western powers of committing “crimes against African Muslims”.
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