US Warns of More Nigeria Strikes as Abuja Talks of 'Collaborative Ongoing Missions'.
The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has indicated additional military actions against ISIS targets in northwest Nigeria. This follows hours after U.S. military forces conducted operations against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has characterized these efforts as part of a campaign to halt the slaughter of Christians.
“The president was clear last month: the murder 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. Additional actions will follow … Grateful for Nigerian government backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”
The Nigerian Top Diplomat Frames Actions as Joint Effort
Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This statement followed after the former U.S. leader had previously alleged Nigeria’s government of failing to prevent Christians from being killed.
Nigeria is officially a secular state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has drawn attention from religious 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 Collaboration Behind the Missions
Nigeria supplied the intelligence for the strikes 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 subsequently spoke with the American official again.
“We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve long desired, to partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to combat terrorism, to stop the death of blameless Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africom said the operations in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with local officials.
Context of Conflict in Northwestern Nigeria
Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as hideouts by criminal groups and members of ISSP. Some analysts say this IS branch started when herders joined together to combat bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.
Clashes between Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by communal and sectarian factors, but their roots lie in competition for land and water.
- Priests and religious leaders have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than sectarian hatred.
- A December 24th 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 Unrest and Statistics
There have been numerous incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% of them affecting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the most affected regions.
Tuggar stressed 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.”
Broader U.S. Foreign Policy
This action comes amid a wider 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 strikes in multiple countries and a significant 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 additional actions would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”