ISIS Urges Fighters to “Massacre Christians” in Africa, Calls Selective Genocide an Act of “Loyalty”

The Islamic State (ISIS) has issued a chilling new directive to its affiliates across Africa, urging fighters to intensify attacks on Christian communities and framing selective genocide as a demonstration of loyalty to its extremist ideology. The call—circulated through ISIS-linked media outlets and translated by multiple counterterrorism monitors—has sparked international concern over the potential escalation of sectarian violence in already fragile regions of the continent.

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In the statement, ISIS leadership described Christians in Africa as “legitimate targets,” using incendiary language intended to inflame tensions and inspire lone-wolf or coordinated attacks. The group urged fighters to “massacre Christian populations wherever possible” and described such violence as an act of obedience that proves “devotion to the caliphate.” Analysts say the rhetoric marks one of the most extreme public calls to violence the group has made in recent years, particularly directed at the African continent.

Growing Influence in Africa

While ISIS has lost most of its territorial strongholds in Syria and Iraq, the organisation has increasingly turned toward Africa as its primary theatre of expansion. Its affiliates—most prominently the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Islamic State Central African Province (ISCAP), and cells operating in the Sahel—have capitalised on weak state presence, ethnic conflicts, porous borders, and rising economic desperation.

Africa now represents the fastest-growing region of ISIS activity, according to the Global Terrorism Index. Groups pledging allegiance to ISIS have carried out hundreds of attacks in the last two years, many targeting civilians, security forces, aid workers, and religious groups.

Counterterrorism experts warn that ISIS’s latest message appears designed to unify its scattered African branches by providing a shared ideological mission: escalating sectarian conflict. “This type of directive is intended to provoke chaos, fear, and retaliation,” said a senior analyst with the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies. “ISIS thrives when societies descend into cycles of violence.”

Targeting of Christian Communities

Christian populations in countries such as Nigeria, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, and parts of the Sahel have been frequent victims of extremist attacks. Churches have been burned, clergy kidnapped, and villages destroyed in operations claimed by ISIS affiliates or groups aligned with them.

In Nigeria, ISWAP and factions of Boko Haram—which earlier pledged allegiance to ISIS—have repeatedly targeted Christian communities in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states. In eastern DR Congo, the ISIS-linked Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) has been responsible for mass killings of civilians, many of whom were Christians.

The new directive raises fears that these patterns of violence could intensify. “When ISIS issues a call for genocide, it must be taken seriously,” warned a Catholic mission representative based in East Africa. “Communities already living under the constant threat of attack are now at even greater risk.”

Global and Regional Reactions

Governments, religious leaders, and international organisations have condemned the message, describing it as a dangerous attempt to inflame religious conflict. The African Union issued a statement urging member states to strengthen counterterrorism coordination and increase protection for vulnerable communities.

In Nigeria, military officials said they were aware of the message and had heightened surveillance on jihadist movements in the Northeast. “We are not taking any threats lightly,” a security source said. “Our forces remain committed to preventing terrorist groups from carrying out attacks on civilians.”

Church organisations across Africa have also reacted strongly. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) urged churches to increase security vigilance while calling for calm. “This is a moment for unity, not panic,” the association said.

Muslim leaders have also condemned ISIS’s language, stressing that the extremist group does not represent Islam. Prominent scholars from several African countries described the call as “barbaric,” “un-Islamic,” and “a distortion of faith,” urging communities not to be manipulated into religious hatred.

A Strategy of Fear

Experts believe ISIS’s message is part of a broader strategy to maintain relevance and project strength despite suffering global setbacks. By encouraging violence against Christians, the group seeks to create spectacles of terror that attract media attention, recruit radicalised individuals, and destabilise governments.

The directive also fits a long-standing pattern in which ISIS targets religious minorities to provoke retaliatory attacks and deepen sectarian divides. “They want to destroy social cohesion,” said a terrorism researcher at the University of Pretoria. “If Christians and Muslims begin to see each other as enemies, extremists on all sides gain power.”

The Road Ahead

Countries affected by ISIS presence face the dual challenge of military containment and addressing the root causes that enable extremist recruitment: poverty, political marginalisation, corruption, and lack of security. Analysts warn that unless these issues are resolved, ISIS’s influence may continue to spread.

Humanitarian organisations are calling for increased international support for displaced communities, many of whom have fled repeated jihadist attacks. Meanwhile, security agencies across Africa are preparing for a possible surge in violence triggered by the extremist directive.

As ISIS attempts to reassert itself on the global stage, Africa remains at the centre of its ambitions—and of its threats. The latest call for targeted violence underscores the urgent need for coordinated action to protect civilians and stop the spread of extremist ideology before it fuels yet another wave of bloodshed across the continent.