US Warns of Further Nigeria Strikes as Nigeria's Capital Speaks of 'Collaborative Ongoing Missions'.
The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has indicated new military actions against Islamic State strongholds in north-western Nigeria. This comes hours after U.S. military forces conducted operations against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has described these efforts as part of a campaign to stop the killing of Christians.
“The president was clear last month: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” the defense secretary posted on a social platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Thankful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”
The Nigerian Foreign Minister Frames Actions as Joint Operation
Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This statement followed 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 nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has garnered focus from conservative groups in the United States, who frame it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have noted that militants target both Christians and Muslims.
Information and Collaboration Behind the Airstrikes
Nigeria provided the intelligence for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He explained that he had spoken with his American opposite number, before called the Nigerian president for authorization, and subsequently spoke with the American official again.
“We have been working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve long desired, to work with the Americans, to work with other countries, to combat terrorism, to stop the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africom confirmed the strikes in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert 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 observers say this affiliate originated when herders banded together to combat bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is mostly Muslim.
Conflicts between Muslim herders and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in disputes for resources.
- Clergy and pastors have increasingly been kidnapped for ransom, though some experts say this may be driven more by financial motives than religious discrimination.
- 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 separate to the violence in the north-west.
Continuing Violence and Data
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 most affected regions.
Tuggar emphasized that the operation was about “protecting Nigerians and civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”
Broader American Foreign Policy
This intervention occurs amid a wider pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this period. Despite running as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the first year of this term has seen strikes in multiple countries and a significant military buildup in another region.
Neither the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any casualties in the recent airstrikes. When questioned if additional actions would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”
