American Signals of Additional Nigeria Airstrikes as Abuja Speaks of 'Joint Ongoing Missions'.
The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has indicated additional military actions against Islamic State positions in northwest Nigeria. This follows a short time after U.S. military forces launched strikes against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these actions as part of a campaign to stop the slaughter of Christians.
“The commander-in-chief was clear previously: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” the defense secretary stated on a social platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”
The Nigerian Top Diplomat Describes Actions as Collaborative Effort
Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint continuing operations.” This statement followed 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. Attacks against Christians has garnered focus from conservative groups in the United States, who frame it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have noted that militants attack both Christians and Muslims.
Intelligence and Collaboration Preceding the Missions
Nigerian authorities provided the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He explained that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, before called the Nigerian president for approval, and then spoke with the American official again.
“We have been collaborating extensively 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 stop the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africom said the operations in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with local officials.
Background of Violence in North-West Nigeria
Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of ISSP. Some observers say this IS branch originated when herders banded together to fight bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is mostly Muslim.
Conflicts between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by communal and sectarian factors, but their roots lie in competition for resources.
- Clergy and pastors have increasingly been taken hostage, though some specialists say this may be driven more by financial motives than sectarian hatred.
- A December 24th attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and injured dozens more, in a distinct conflict largely unrelated to the violence in the north-west.
Continuing Violence and Statistics
There have been numerous incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them affecting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the most affected regions.
Tuggar emphasized that the operation was about “protecting Nigerians and innocent lives,” not one religion. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”
Broader U.S. Foreign Policy
This intervention comes amid a wider pattern of American activity overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “candidate of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period 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 casualties in the latest airstrikes. When asked if more would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is continuing.”
