US Issues Warning of Additional Nigerian Airstrikes as Abuja Talks of 'Joint Ongoing Missions'.
The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has warned of additional airstrikes against ISIS targets in northwest Nigeria. This follows a short time after U.S. military forces conducted operations against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has framed these efforts as part of a campaign to halt the slaughter of Christians.
“The president was explicit previously: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” the defense secretary stated on a social platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Grateful for Nigerian government backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”
Nigeria's Foreign Minister Frames Actions as Collaborative Operation
Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This comment came after Trump had earlier accused Nigeria’s government of failing to stop Christians from being killed.
Nigeria is constitutionally a non-religious state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has drawn attention from religious groups in the United States, who describe it as sectarian targeting. Nigerian authorities have pointed out that militants target both Christians and Muslims.
Information and Collaboration Preceding the Missions
Nigeria supplied the information for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He detailed that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, before contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and subsequently conferred with the American official again.
“We have been working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve long desired, to partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the death of innocent Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africom confirmed the strikes in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with local officials.
Context of Violence in North-West Nigeria
Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by criminal groups and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some observers say this IS branch originated when herders banded together to combat bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.
Clashes between pastoralists and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in disputes for land and water.
- Clergy and pastors have increasingly been taken hostage, though some specialists say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than sectarian hatred.
- A Christmas Eve attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a separate conflict largely 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 50% of them targeting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the hardest-hit regions.
Tuggar emphasized that the mission was about “protecting Nigerians and civilians,” not one religion. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”
Broader American Foreign Posture
This action occurs amid a broader pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this administration. Despite campaigning as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “endless wars,” the first year of this term has seen military actions 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 casualties in the recent airstrikes. When asked if more would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a new phase of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is ongoing.”
