US Issues Warning of Further Nigerian Airstrikes as Nigeria's Capital Speaks of 'Joint Ongoing Missions'.
The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has warned of further military actions against ISIS targets in northwest Nigeria. This follows hours after American forces conducted operations against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has described these actions as part of a campaign to end the slaughter of Christians.
“The president was clear last month: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” the defense secretary posted on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Thankful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”
Nigeria's Foreign Minister Frames Strikes as Collaborative Effort
Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This comment came after Trump had previously alleged Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to prevent Christians from being killed.
Nigeria is officially a non-religious state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Violence against Christians has garnered focus from religious groups in the United States, who describe it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have noted that militants attack both Christians and Muslims.
Information and Coordination Preceding the Missions
Nigerian authorities supplied the information for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a local broadcaster. He explained that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, before called the Nigerian president for authorization, and then spoke 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 work with the Americans, to work with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities.
Context of Violence in North-West Nigeria
Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by gangs of armed bandits and members of ISSP. Some analysts say this IS branch started when pastoralists banded together to fight bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is mostly Muslim.
Clashes 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 been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than religious discrimination.
- A December 24th attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and injured dozens more, in a distinct insurgency largely separate to the violence in the north-west.
Ongoing Violence and Data
There have been thousands of events 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 stressed that the mission was about “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”
Broader American Foreign Posture
This intervention comes amid a wider pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “candidate of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “endless wars,” the initial period of this term has seen strikes in several countries and a major military buildup in another region.
No official from the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any fatalities in the latest airstrikes. When questioned if additional actions would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is ongoing.”
