US Issues Warning of Additional Nigerian Airstrikes as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Collaborative Continuing Operations'.
The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has indicated additional military actions against Islamic State targets in north-western Nigeria. This follows hours after American forces launched strikes against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has framed these actions as part of a mission to end the slaughter of Christians.
“The president was explicit last month: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” Hegseth wrote on a social platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Grateful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”
The Nigerian Foreign Minister Frames Actions as Joint Effort
Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This statement followed after the former U.S. leader had previously accused Nigeria’s government of failing to stop Christians from being killed.
Nigeria is constitutionally a secular state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Violence against Christians has drawn attention from conservative groups in the United States, who frame it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have pointed out that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims.
Information and Collaboration Preceding the Missions
Nigerian authorities provided the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He explained that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, before contacted the Nigerian president for authorization, and then conferred with the American official again.
“We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to partner with the Americans, to work with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africom said the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with Nigerian authorities.
Background of Violence in North-West Nigeria
Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of ISSP. Some observers say this IS branch originated when herders joined together to combat bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is mostly Muslim.
Clashes between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in competition for resources.
- Clergy and pastors have increasingly been taken hostage, though some specialists say this may be driven more by financial motives than sectarian hatred.
- A December 24th attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a separate insurgency mostly unrelated to the violence in the north-west.
Continuing Violence and Statistics
There have been thousands of events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them affecting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the hardest-hit regions.
Tuggar emphasized that the mission was about “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not one religion. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”
Wider U.S. Military Policy
This intervention occurs amid a wider pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period of this term has seen military actions in several countries and a significant deployment of forces in another region.
No official from the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When asked if more would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an old conflict. For us it is something that is ongoing.”
