American Issues Warning of Further Nigeria Airstrikes as Abuja Speaks of 'Collaborative Continuing Operations'.
The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has warned of further military actions against IS strongholds in north-western Nigeria. This follows hours after American forces took action against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has described these efforts as part of a campaign to halt the killing of Christians.
“The president was clear last month: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” the defense secretary stated on a social platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Grateful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”
Nigeria's Top Diplomat Frames Strikes as Joint Operation
Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked 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 officially a secular state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Violence against Christians has drawn attention from conservative groups in the United States, who describe it as sectarian targeting. Nigerian authorities have noted that militants attack both Christians and Muslims.
Intelligence and Coordination Behind the Airstrikes
Nigerian authorities supplied the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He detailed that he had spoken with his American opposite number, before contacted 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 long desired, to work with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to combat terrorism, to end the death 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 local officials.
Background of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria
Forests in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as bases by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some observers say this IS branch originated when herders joined together to combat bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.
Conflicts between Muslim herders and mostly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in competition for land and water.
- Clergy and religious leaders have increasingly been taken hostage, though some experts say this may be driven more by financial motives than sectarian hatred.
- A December 24th attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a separate insurgency mostly separate to the violence in the north-west.
Continuing Violence and Statistics
There have been numerous 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 hardest-hit regions.
Tuggar stressed that the operation 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 Policy
This intervention occurs amid a wider pattern of American activity overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “champion of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the first year of this term has seen strikes in several countries and a major military buildup in another region.
Neither the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any fatalities in the recent airstrikes. When asked if additional actions would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a new phase of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is continuing.”
