American Warns of Additional Nigerian Military Actions as Abuja Speaks of 'Joint Ongoing Missions'.
The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has warned of additional military actions against ISIS targets in north-western Nigeria. This comes hours after American forces took action against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has described these actions as part of a campaign to halt the killing of Christians.
“The president was clear previously: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” the defense secretary posted on a social platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Thankful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”
The Nigerian Foreign Minister Frames Actions as Collaborative Effort
Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This statement followed after Trump had earlier accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to stop Christians from being killed.
Nigeria is officially a non-religious state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has garnered focus from conservative groups in the United States, who frame it as religious persecution. Nigerian authorities have pointed out that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims.
Information and Collaboration Behind the Airstrikes
Nigeria supplied the information for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He explained that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, before called the Nigerian president for approval, and then 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 work with other countries, to fight terrorism, to stop the death of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the strikes in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with Nigerian authorities.
Context of Conflict in Northwestern Nigeria
Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as hideouts by criminal groups and members of ISSP. Some analysts say this IS branch started when herders joined together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is mostly Muslim.
Conflicts between Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in disputes for resources.
- Clergy and religious leaders have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than sectarian hatred.
- A Christmas Eve suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a separate insurgency largely unrelated to the violence in the north-west.
Ongoing Violence and Data
There have been thousands of incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% of them affecting civilians, according to conflict monitoring data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the most affected 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 targeting any religion.”
Wider American Foreign Posture
This intervention comes amid a broader pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this period. Despite campaigning 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 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 more would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an old conflict. For us it is something that is ongoing.”