US Issues Warning of Additional Nigeria Airstrikes as Abuja Talks of 'Collaborative Ongoing Operations'.
The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has warned of new military actions against Islamic State strongholds in north-western Nigeria. This comes hours after U.S. military forces took action against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has described these actions as part of a mission to halt the slaughter of Christians.
“The commander-in-chief was explicit previously: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria must end,” Hegseth stated on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Grateful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”
The Nigerian Top Diplomat Describes Strikes as Collaborative Effort
Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint continuing operations.” This statement followed after the former U.S. leader had earlier accused Nigeria’s government of failing to prevent Christians from being killed.
Nigeria is officially a secular state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Violence against Christians has drawn attention from religious groups in the United States, who frame it as religious persecution. Nigerian authorities have pointed out that militants attack both Christians and Muslims.
Intelligence and Coordination Preceding the Airstrikes
Nigerian authorities provided the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a local broadcaster. He explained that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, then called the Nigerian president for approval, and subsequently spoke with the American official again.
“We have been working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “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 death of blameless Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the operations in Sokoto state had been executed in concert with Nigerian authorities.
Context of Conflict in North-West Nigeria
Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of ISSP. Some observers say this affiliate originated when pastoralists joined together to fight bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.
Conflicts between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in competition for land and water.
- Priests and pastors have been increasingly taken hostage, though some experts say this may be driven more by financial motives 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.
Continuing Violence and Statistics
There have been thousands of 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 civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”
Wider American Foreign Policy
This action comes amid a broader pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this administration. Despite campaigning as a “champion of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period of this term has seen strikes in multiple countries and a major military buildup in another region.
No official from the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any casualties in the recent airstrikes. When questioned if additional actions would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”
