US Warns of Additional Nigeria Airstrikes as Nigeria's Capital Speaks of 'Collaborative Continuing Missions'.
The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has indicated new strikes against ISIS strongholds in northwest Nigeria. This follows a short time after U.S. military forces took action against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has framed these efforts as part of a mission to end the slaughter of Christians.
“The commander-in-chief was explicit previously: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” the defense secretary wrote on a social platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS found out 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 foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This comment came after the former U.S. leader had previously accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to prevent Christians from being killed.
Nigeria is constitutionally a non-religious state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has drawn attention from conservative groups in the United States, who frame it as religious persecution. Nigerian authorities have noted that militants target both Christians and Muslims.
Information and Coordination Behind the Airstrikes
Nigeria provided the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a local broadcaster. He detailed that he had spoken with his American opposite number, 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 work with the Americans, to work with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the death of blameless Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africom said the strikes in Sokoto state had been carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities.
Context of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria
Forests in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as bases by criminal groups and members of ISSP. Some analysts say this affiliate started when herders banded together to combat bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is mostly Muslim.
Clashes between pastoralists and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in disputes for resources.
- Priests and religious leaders have increasingly been kidnapped for ransom, though some experts say this may be driven more by financial motives than sectarian hatred.
- A Christmas Eve suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a distinct insurgency largely separate to the violence in the north-west.
Ongoing Unrest and Statistics
There have been numerous 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 mission was about “safeguarding Nigerians and innocent lives,” not one religion. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”
Wider U.S. Military Policy
This action comes amid a broader pattern of American activity 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 major military buildup in another region.
No official from the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When questioned if more would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”
