US Issues Warning of More Nigeria Airstrikes as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Collaborative Ongoing Missions'.
The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has indicated further airstrikes against IS strongholds in north-western Nigeria. This follows hours after U.S. military forces launched strikes against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has framed these actions as part of a mission to stop the killing of Christians.
“The president was clear last month: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria must end,” Hegseth stated on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Thankful for Nigerian government backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”
The Nigerian Foreign Minister Describes Strikes as Collaborative Effort
Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This comment came after Trump had earlier alleged Nigeria’s government of failing to stop Christians from being killed.
Nigeria is officially a secular state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Violence against Christians has garnered focus from religious groups in the United States, who frame it as sectarian targeting. 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 informed a local broadcaster. He detailed that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, before called the Nigerian president for authorization, and then spoke with the American official again.
“We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to partner with the Americans, to work with other countries, to combat terrorism, to stop the death of blameless Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africom said the operations in Sokoto state had been executed in concert with local officials.
Background of Conflict in North-West Nigeria
Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some analysts say this affiliate originated when herders joined together to fight 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 roots lie in disputes for land and water.
- Priests and pastors have been increasingly taken hostage, 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 took the lives of at least five people and injured dozens more, in a distinct conflict mostly separate to the violence in the north-west.
Ongoing Unrest and Data
There have been thousands of events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% of them affecting 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 “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”
Wider American Military Posture
This intervention comes amid a wider pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this administration. Despite campaigning as a “candidate of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “endless wars,” the first year of this term has seen military actions in multiple countries and a major deployment of forces 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 replied: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is ongoing.”
