US Issues Warning of Additional Nigeria Strikes as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Collaborative Continuing Missions'.
The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled further strikes against ISIS targets in north-western Nigeria. This follows a short time after American forces conducted operations against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has characterized these efforts as part of a mission to end the slaughter of Christians.
“The commander-in-chief was clear previously: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” the defense secretary wrote on a social platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Grateful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”
Nigeria's Top Diplomat Describes Strikes as Collaborative Effort
Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This statement came after Trump had previously accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to stop Christians from being killed.
Nigeria is officially a non-religious state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Violence 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 armed groups target both Christians and Muslims.
Intelligence and Coordination Preceding the Airstrikes
Nigeria provided the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He detailed that he had consulted 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 said. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to work with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to stop the death of blameless Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africom said the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in coordination with local officials.
Context of Conflict in Northwestern Nigeria
Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of ISSP. Some observers say this IS branch started when herders banded 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 exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in competition for land and water.
- Clergy and religious leaders have increasingly been taken hostage, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than religious discrimination.
- 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 largely separate to the violence in the north-west.
Continuing Unrest and Data
There have been numerous events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% 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 operation was about “safeguarding Nigerians and innocent lives,” not one religion. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”
Wider U.S. Foreign Posture
This intervention occurs amid a broader pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the first year of this term has seen strikes in several countries and a major military buildup in another region.
Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any fatalities in the recent airstrikes. When asked if more would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a new phase of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is continuing.”
