US Signals of Further Nigeria Airstrikes as Nigeria's Capital Speaks of 'Collaborative Continuing Operations'.
The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled new strikes against ISIS strongholds in northwest Nigeria. This comes a short time after American forces launched strikes against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these efforts as part of a mission to stop the killing of Christians.
“The commander-in-chief was explicit previously: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth stated on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Thankful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”
Nigeria's Top Diplomat Frames Strikes as Joint Operation
Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint continuing operations.” This statement followed 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. Violence against Christians has drawn attention from religious groups in the United States, who frame it as religious persecution. The government in Abuja have pointed out that militants target both Christians and Muslims.
Intelligence and Coordination Behind the Missions
Nigeria provided the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He explained that he had spoken with his American opposite number, before contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and subsequently spoke with the American official again.
“We have been working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve long desired, to work with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to stop the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africom confirmed the strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in concert with local officials.
Context of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria
Forests in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to 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 fight bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is mostly Muslim.
Conflicts between Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in competition 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 December 24th attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a separate conflict mostly separate to the violence in the north-west.
Ongoing Unrest and Data
There have been thousands of events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% of them affecting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the hardest-hit regions.
Tuggar emphasized that the operation was about “safeguarding Nigerians and innocent lives,” not a single faith. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”
Wider American Foreign Posture
This action occurs amid a wider pattern of American engagement overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the first year of this term has seen military actions in multiple countries and a significant military buildup in another region.
No official from the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any casualties in the recent airstrikes. When questioned if additional actions would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is ongoing.”
