American Issues Warning of Additional Nigeria Strikes as Abuja Speaks of 'Joint Ongoing Missions'.
The American Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has warned of further airstrikes against ISIS targets in north-western Nigeria. This comes a short time after U.S. military forces conducted operations against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has framed these efforts as part of a mission to stop the killing of Christians.
“The president was explicit last month: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria must end,” the defense secretary wrote on a social platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Grateful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”
The Nigerian Foreign Minister Frames Strikes as Collaborative Effort
Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This statement followed after Trump had previously accused Nigeria’s government of failing to prevent Christians from being killed.
Nigeria is constitutionally a non-religious state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has garnered focus from conservative groups in the United States, who frame it as religious persecution. Nigerian authorities have noted that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims.
Information and Collaboration Preceding the Airstrikes
Nigeria supplied the information for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He detailed that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, before called the Nigerian president for approval, and then spoke with the American official again.
“We have been working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to partner with the Americans, to work with other countries, to fight terrorism, to stop the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africom confirmed the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in coordination with local officials.
Background of Violence in North-West Nigeria
Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some analysts say this IS branch originated when pastoralists banded together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is mostly Muslim.
Conflicts between Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in disputes for land and water.
- Priests and pastors have increasingly been kidnapped for ransom, though some experts say this may be driven more by financial motives than religious discrimination.
- A Christmas Eve suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and injured dozens more, in a separate insurgency largely unrelated to the violence in the north-west.
Ongoing Violence and Statistics
There have been numerous events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them affecting civilians, according to conflict monitoring data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the most affected regions.
Tuggar stressed that the mission was about “protecting Nigerians and innocent lives,” not a single faith. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”
Wider U.S. Military Policy
This action occurs amid a broader pattern of American activity overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “candidate of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “endless wars,” the first year of this presidency 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 recent airstrikes. When questioned if additional actions would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a new phase of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is ongoing.”
