American Warns of Additional Nigerian Strikes as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Joint Continuing Operations'.
The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled additional strikes against ISIS positions in north-western Nigeria. This follows a short time after U.S. military forces launched strikes against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has framed these actions as part of a campaign to end the killing of Christians.
“The president was explicit last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” Hegseth wrote on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”
Nigeria's Top Diplomat Describes Strikes as Collaborative Operation
Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This statement came after the former U.S. leader had previously alleged Nigeria’s government of failing to prevent Christians from being killed.
Nigeria is constitutionally a secular state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has garnered focus from conservative groups in the United States, who describe it as religious persecution. The government in Abuja have noted that militants target both Christians and Muslims.
Intelligence and Coordination Behind the Airstrikes
Nigeria supplied the information for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a local broadcaster. He detailed that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, then contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and subsequently conferred with the American official again.
“We have been working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve long desired, to partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africom said the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with Nigerian authorities.
Context 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.
Conflicts between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in disputes for resources.
- Priests and religious leaders have increasingly been taken hostage, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than sectarian hatred.
- A December 24th attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and injured dozens more, in a separate conflict largely unrelated to the violence in the north-west.
Ongoing Unrest and Statistics
There have been thousands of events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% of them targeting 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 aimed at any religion.”
Broader U.S. Military Policy
This action occurs amid a broader pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “champion of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the first year of this presidency 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 disclosed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When asked if more would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a new phase of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is continuing.”
