American Warns of Additional Nigerian Airstrikes as Abuja Talks of 'Collaborative Continuing Operations'.
The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has indicated new military actions against ISIS strongholds in north-western Nigeria. This comes hours after U.S. military forces took action against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these actions as part of a mission to stop the slaughter of Christians.
“The commander-in-chief was clear last month: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” Hegseth wrote on a social platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Grateful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”
Nigeria's Top Diplomat Frames Strikes as Joint Operation
Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This statement came after the former U.S. leader had previously alleged Nigeria’s government of failing to stop Christians from being killed.
Nigeria is constitutionally a secular 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 religious persecution. The government in Abuja have noted that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims.
Information and Coordination Behind the Airstrikes
Nigerian authorities provided the information for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a local broadcaster. He detailed that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, then contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and subsequently spoke with the American official again.
“We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to partner with the Americans, to work with other countries, to combat terrorism, to stop the death of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africa Command confirmed the operations in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with local officials.
Context of Conflict in Northwestern Nigeria
Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by gangs of armed bandits and members of ISSP. Some observers say this affiliate originated when pastoralists banded together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.
Clashes between pastoralists and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in disputes for resources.
- Priests and pastors have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, though some specialists say this may be driven more by financial motives than sectarian hatred.
- A Christmas Eve attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and injured dozens more, in a distinct insurgency largely separate 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 half 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 joint operation,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”
Wider American Military Posture
This intervention occurs amid a broader pattern of American activity overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “endless wars,” the initial period of this presidency has seen military actions in multiple countries and a major deployment of forces in another region.
Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any casualties in the recent airstrikes. When questioned if more would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is ongoing.”
