US Warns of More Nigeria Airstrikes as Abuja Talks of 'Joint Continuing Missions'.
The American Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has indicated further airstrikes against ISIS targets in north-western Nigeria. This follows hours after U.S. military forces conducted operations against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has characterized these efforts as part of a campaign to stop the slaughter of Christians.
“The commander-in-chief was explicit last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” Hegseth posted on a social platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”
The Nigerian Top Diplomat Frames 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 comment came after the former U.S. leader had previously alleged Nigeria’s government of not doing enough 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 frame it as religious persecution. The government in Abuja have noted that militants target both Christians and Muslims.
Information and Collaboration Behind the Missions
Nigerian authorities provided the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a local broadcaster. He detailed that he had spoken with his American opposite number, before called the Nigerian president for authorization, and subsequently spoke with the American official again.
“We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to partner with the Americans, to work with other countries, to combat terrorism, to end the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africom said the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with local officials.
Context of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria
Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as bases by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some analysts say this IS branch started when pastoralists joined together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.
Conflicts between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in disputes for resources.
- Priests and religious leaders have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, though some experts say this may be driven more by financial motives than religious discrimination.
- A December 24th attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a distinct conflict mostly unrelated to the violence in the north-west.
Ongoing Unrest and Statistics
There have been numerous incidents 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 “protecting Nigerians and innocent lives,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”
Wider American Foreign Policy
This action comes amid a wider pattern of American activity overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “endless wars,” the initial period of this term has seen military actions in several countries and a major deployment of forces in another region.
No official from the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any fatalities in the recent airstrikes. When questioned if additional actions would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an old conflict. For us it is something that is ongoing.”
