US Issues Warning of Additional Nigerian Military Actions as Abuja Talks of 'Collaborative Continuing Missions'.
The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has indicated further airstrikes against Islamic State targets in northwest Nigeria. This follows a short time after U.S. military forces launched strikes against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has described these actions as part of a mission to end the slaughter of Christians.
“The commander-in-chief was explicit last month: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth posted on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”
Nigeria's Top Diplomat Frames Strikes as Collaborative Effort
Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint continuing operations.” This comment came after the former U.S. leader had earlier accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to stop Christians from being killed.
Nigeria is officially a non-religious state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has garnered focus from religious groups in the United States, who frame it as religious persecution. Nigerian authorities have pointed out that militants target both Christians and Muslims.
Information and Collaboration Behind the Airstrikes
Nigerian authorities provided the intelligence for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a local broadcaster. He explained that he had spoken with his American opposite number, then contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and then conferred with the American official again.
“We have been working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to combat terrorism, to stop the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africom confirmed the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with local officials.
Background of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria
Forests in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of ISSP. Some observers say this IS branch started when pastoralists joined together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.
Clashes between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by communal and sectarian factors, but their roots lie in disputes for land and water.
- Priests and pastors have been increasingly taken hostage, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than religious discrimination.
- A December 24th suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a separate insurgency largely separate to the violence in the north-west.
Ongoing Unrest and Statistics
There have been numerous incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them targeting civilians, according to conflict monitoring data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the most affected regions.
Tuggar emphasized that the mission was about “safeguarding Nigerians and innocent lives,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”
Wider U.S. Foreign Posture
This intervention occurs amid a wider pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the first year of this term has seen military actions in several countries and a major military buildup in another region.
Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When questioned if more would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is ongoing.”
