American Signals of Further Nigeria Military Actions as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Collaborative Continuing Operations'.
The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has indicated further strikes against ISIS strongholds in northwest Nigeria. This comes hours after American forces conducted operations against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has framed these efforts as part of a campaign to stop the killing of Christians.
“The commander-in-chief was explicit last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria must end,” the defense secretary posted on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Grateful for Nigerian government backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”
The Nigerian Foreign Minister Describes Strikes as Collaborative Effort
Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This comment came after the former U.S. leader had earlier alleged Nigeria’s government of failing to stop Christians from being killed.
Nigeria is officially a non-religious state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has drawn attention from conservative groups in the United States, who frame it as sectarian targeting. Nigerian authorities have noted that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims.
Information and Coordination 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, then called the Nigerian president for authorization, and then spoke 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 end the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with local officials.
Background of Conflict in Northwestern Nigeria
Forests in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts by criminal groups 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 mostly Muslim.
Clashes between pastoralists and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by communal and sectarian factors, but their roots lie in competition for land and water.
- Priests and religious leaders have increasingly been taken hostage, though some experts say this may be driven more by financial motives than sectarian hatred.
- A Christmas Eve suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and injured dozens more, in a separate conflict largely separate to the violence in the north-west.
Ongoing Unrest and Statistics
There have been numerous incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them targeting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the hardest-hit regions.
Tuggar stressed that the operation was about “protecting Nigerians and innocent lives,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”
Broader American Military Policy
This action comes amid a broader pattern of American 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 presidency has seen military actions in several countries and a major deployment of forces in another region.
No official from the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When asked 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.”
