US Issues Warning of More Nigeria Strikes as Nigeria's Capital Speaks of 'Joint Ongoing Missions'.
The American Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has indicated additional strikes against ISIS strongholds in north-western Nigeria. This follows a short time 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 stop the killing of Christians.
“The commander-in-chief was clear last month: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” the defense secretary wrote on a social platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Thankful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”
The Nigerian Top Diplomat Frames Actions as Joint Operation
Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint continuing operations.” This comment came after the former U.S. leader had previously 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 religious persecution. Nigerian authorities have pointed out that militants target both Christians and Muslims.
Information and Coordination Preceding the Airstrikes
Nigerian authorities supplied the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He explained that he had spoken with his American opposite number, then called the Nigerian president for authorization, and then conferred with the American official again.
“We have been working closely 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 end the death of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africom said the strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with Nigerian authorities.
Context of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria
Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by criminal groups and members of ISSP. Some analysts say this IS branch originated when pastoralists banded together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is mostly Muslim.
Conflicts between pastoralists and predominantly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in disputes for resources.
- Clergy and religious leaders have been increasingly taken hostage, though some experts say this may be driven more by financial motives than sectarian hatred.
- A Christmas Eve suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a distinct conflict largely unrelated to the violence in the north-west.
Continuing Unrest and Data
There have been numerous incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them targeting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the hardest-hit 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.”
Wider U.S. Military Policy
This intervention comes amid a wider pattern of American activity overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “candidate of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period of this term 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 disclosed if there were any fatalities in the recent airstrikes. When questioned 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.”
