US Warns of Further Nigerian Airstrikes as Abuja Speaks of 'Joint Continuing Missions'.
The American Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has signaled new strikes against IS targets in north-western Nigeria. This follows hours after U.S. military forces took action against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these efforts as part of a campaign to stop the slaughter of Christians.
“The commander-in-chief was explicit previously: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth posted on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Thankful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”
Nigeria's Foreign Minister Frames Strikes as Collaborative Operation
Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative 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 officially a secular state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Violence against Christians has garnered focus from conservative groups in the United States, who describe it as religious persecution. The government in Abuja have pointed out that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims.
Information and Coordination Preceding the Missions
Nigeria supplied the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He detailed that he had spoken with his American opposite number, before called the Nigerian president for authorization, and subsequently spoke with the American official again.
“We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “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 killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africom confirmed the strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with local officials.
Context of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria
Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as hideouts by criminal groups and members of ISSP. Some observers 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 pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in disputes for resources.
- Clergy and religious leaders have been increasingly taken hostage, though some specialists say this may be driven more by financial motives than sectarian hatred.
- A December 24th suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and injured dozens more, in a distinct conflict mostly unrelated to the violence in the north-west.
Continuing Unrest and Statistics
There have been thousands of events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them targeting civilians, according to conflict monitoring data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the hardest-hit regions.
Tuggar emphasized that the mission was about “protecting Nigerians and innocent lives,” not one religion. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”
Wider American Foreign Policy
This action comes amid a wider pattern of American activity overseas during this period. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “endless wars,” the initial period of this presidency has seen strikes in multiple countries and a significant deployment of forces in another region.
Neither the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When questioned if additional actions would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a new phase of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is continuing.”