US Warns of Further Nigeria Strikes as Abuja Speaks of 'Collaborative Continuing Missions'.
The American Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has indicated new strikes against IS positions in north-western Nigeria. This comes a short time after American forces conducted operations against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has framed these actions as part of a campaign to stop the killing of Christians.
“The president was explicit previously: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” the defense secretary wrote on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Grateful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”
Nigeria's Top Diplomat Describes Strikes as Joint Effort
Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This comment followed after the former U.S. leader had previously accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to stop Christians from being killed.
Nigeria is officially a non-religious 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 describe it as sectarian targeting. Nigerian authorities have pointed out that militants target both Christians and Muslims.
Intelligence and Coordination Preceding the Missions
Nigeria supplied the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He explained that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, before called 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 work with the Americans, to work with other countries, to combat terrorism, to end the death of innocent Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in concert with Nigerian authorities.
Background of Violence in North-West Nigeria
Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some analysts say this IS branch started when pastoralists banded together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.
Conflicts between pastoralists and predominantly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in disputes for land and water.
- Clergy and pastors have been increasingly taken hostage, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than sectarian hatred.
- A Christmas Eve attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and injured dozens more, in a distinct insurgency mostly separate to the violence in the north-west.
Ongoing Unrest and Data
There have been thousands of incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% of them targeting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the hardest-hit regions.
Tuggar emphasized that the operation was about “protecting Nigerians and innocent lives,” not one religion. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”
Broader U.S. Foreign Policy
This action comes amid a wider pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “champion 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 military buildup in another region.
Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any fatalities 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.”
