American Issues Warning of Further Nigerian Airstrikes as Abuja Talks of 'Collaborative Continuing Missions'.
The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has indicated additional military actions against ISIS strongholds in northwest Nigeria. This comes hours after American forces took action against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has framed these actions as part of a campaign to end the slaughter of Christians.
“The commander-in-chief was clear previously: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria must end,” the defense secretary posted on a social platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”
The Nigerian Top Diplomat Frames Strikes as Collaborative Operation
Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This comment followed after the former U.S. leader had earlier alleged Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to prevent Christians from being killed.
Nigeria is officially a non-religious state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has drawn attention from religious groups in the United States, who frame it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have noted that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims.
Intelligence and Collaboration Behind the Missions
Nigeria supplied the information for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He detailed that he had consulted with his American opposite number, before called the Nigerian president for approval, and subsequently 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 cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to stop the killing of blameless 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 Conflict in Northwestern Nigeria
Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as hideouts by criminal groups and members of ISSP. Some analysts say this IS branch originated when herders joined together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.
Clashes between Muslim herders and mostly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in competition for resources.
- Clergy and religious leaders have been increasingly taken hostage, though some specialists say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than sectarian hatred.
- A December 24th attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and injured dozens more, in a separate insurgency mostly unrelated to the violence in the north-west.
Continuing 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 hardest-hit regions.
Tuggar emphasized that the operation was about “safeguarding Nigerians and innocent lives,” not one religion. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”
Wider U.S. Foreign Policy
This intervention occurs amid a wider pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the first year of this term has seen strikes in several countries and a significant military buildup in another region.
No official from the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any fatalities in the recent airstrikes. When asked 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 continuing.”
