US Warns of Additional Nigeria Military Actions as Nigeria's Capital Speaks of 'Joint Ongoing Operations'.
The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has warned of new military actions against ISIS targets in north-western Nigeria. This follows hours after American forces conducted operations against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has framed these efforts as part of a mission to halt the killing of Christians.
“The commander-in-chief was explicit last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” the defense secretary stated on a social platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Grateful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”
The Nigerian Foreign Minister Describes Strikes as Joint Effort
Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This statement followed after the former U.S. leader had previously accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to prevent Christians from being killed.
Nigeria is officially a non-religious state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Violence against Christians has garnered focus from religious groups in the United States, who describe it as religious persecution. Nigerian authorities have noted that militants target both Christians and Muslims.
Information and Collaboration Preceding the Airstrikes
Nigeria supplied the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a local broadcaster. He explained that he had spoken with his American opposite number, then contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and then spoke with the American official again.
“We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve long desired, to work with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to combat terrorism, to end the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the operations in Sokoto state had been executed in concert with local officials.
Context of Violence in North-West Nigeria
Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some observers say this IS branch started when pastoralists banded together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is mostly Muslim.
Conflicts between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by communal and sectarian factors, but their roots lie in competition for land and water.
- Priests and pastors have increasingly been kidnapped for ransom, though some specialists say this may be driven more by financial motives than religious discrimination.
- A Christmas Eve attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and injured dozens more, in a separate conflict mostly separate to the violence in the north-west.
Ongoing Unrest and Statistics
There have been numerous events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them targeting civilians, according to conflict monitoring data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the hardest-hit regions.
Tuggar emphasized that the mission was about “protecting Nigerians and civilians,” not one religion. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”
Wider U.S. Foreign Policy
This action comes amid a broader pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this period. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the initial period of this presidency has seen strikes in several countries and a major deployment of forces in another region.
Neither the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When questioned if additional actions would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”
