American Warns of Additional Nigeria Strikes as Abuja Talks of 'Joint Ongoing Missions'.
The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has warned of further military actions against ISIS strongholds in north-western Nigeria. This follows hours after U.S. military forces took action against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these actions as part of a campaign to halt the killing of Christians.
“The commander-in-chief was explicit last month: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria must end,” Hegseth wrote on a social platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Thankful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”
The Nigerian Foreign Minister Describes Strikes as Collaborative Effort
Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint continuing operations.” This statement came after the former U.S. leader had earlier alleged Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to stop Christians from being killed.
Nigeria is constitutionally a secular state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Violence against Christians has drawn attention from religious groups in the United States, who describe it as religious persecution. Nigerian authorities have pointed out that militants target both Christians and Muslims.
Information and Coordination Behind the Missions
Nigerian authorities supplied the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a local broadcaster. He explained that he had spoken with his American opposite number, then 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 long desired, to partner with the Americans, to work with other countries, to combat terrorism, to stop the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africom confirmed the operations in Sokoto state had been executed in concert with Nigerian authorities.
Context of Violence in North-West Nigeria
Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of ISSP. Some observers say this affiliate started when pastoralists banded together to fight bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.
Clashes between pastoralists and predominantly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in disputes for resources.
- Priests and religious leaders have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than religious discrimination.
- A Christmas Eve attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a distinct insurgency largely unrelated to the violence in the north-west.
Continuing Violence and Statistics
There have been thousands of 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 emphasized that the mission was about “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not one religion. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”
Broader American Military Posture
This intervention occurs amid a wider pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period of this presidency has seen strikes in multiple countries and a major military buildup in another region.
No official from the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have disclosed 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 ongoing.”
