US Warns of Additional Nigeria Military Actions as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Joint Continuing Operations'.
The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled additional airstrikes against IS strongholds in northwest Nigeria. This comes hours after U.S. military forces conducted operations against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has described these efforts as part of a campaign to stop the slaughter of Christians.
“The commander-in-chief was explicit previously: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” Hegseth wrote on a social platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”
Nigeria's Top Diplomat Describes Strikes as Collaborative Effort
Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This statement came after Trump had previously accused Nigeria’s government of failing to prevent Christians from being killed.
Nigeria is officially a secular state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has drawn attention from religious groups in the United States, who describe it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have pointed out that militants target both Christians and Muslims.
Intelligence and Collaboration Preceding the Missions
Nigeria provided the intelligence 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 then conferred 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 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 executed in coordination with local officials.
Context of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria
Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts 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 mostly Muslim.
Clashes between Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in disputes for land and water.
- Clergy and pastors 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 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 50% of them targeting civilians, according to conflict monitoring data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the most affected regions.
Tuggar emphasized that the mission was about “safeguarding Nigerians and innocent lives,” not one religion. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”
Broader American Military Posture
This action comes amid a broader pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “champion of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the first year of this presidency has seen military actions in several countries and a significant deployment of forces in another region.
Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have revealed 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 ongoing.”
