American Warns of Additional Nigeria Military Actions as Abuja Talks of 'Collaborative Ongoing Operations'.
The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has indicated new airstrikes against IS targets in northwest Nigeria. This comes hours after American forces conducted operations against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has described these efforts as part of a campaign to end the slaughter of Christians.
“The commander-in-chief was explicit last month: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria must end,” Hegseth wrote on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”
Nigeria's Foreign Minister Describes Strikes as Joint Effort
Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This statement followed after Trump had earlier accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to stop Christians from being killed.
Nigeria is officially 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 sectarian targeting. Nigerian authorities have noted that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims.
Information and Coordination Preceding the Missions
Nigeria provided the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a local broadcaster. He explained that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, then called the Nigerian president for authorization, and subsequently conferred with the American official again.
“We have been working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to work with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to combat terrorism, to end the death of innocent Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africa Command confirmed the strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in concert with Nigerian authorities.
Background of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria
Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some analysts say this affiliate started when pastoralists joined together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.
Clashes between Muslim herders and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes 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 financial motives than sectarian hatred.
- A Christmas Eve attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and injured dozens more, in a distinct conflict largely unrelated to the violence in the north-west.
Ongoing Violence and Statistics
There have been thousands of events 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 most affected regions.
Tuggar stressed that the operation 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 American Military Posture
This action occurs amid a wider pattern of American activity overseas during this administration. Despite campaigning as a “candidate of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “endless wars,” the initial period of this presidency has seen military actions in several countries and a significant 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 more would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an old conflict. For us it is something that is ongoing.”
