American Signals of Additional Nigeria Military Actions as Abuja Talks of 'Joint Continuing Operations'.
The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled further strikes against ISIS positions in north-western Nigeria. This follows hours after U.S. military forces launched strikes against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has framed these actions as part of a campaign to halt the slaughter of Christians.
“The commander-in-chief was clear previously: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria must end,” the defense secretary stated on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Grateful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”
Nigeria's Foreign Minister Frames Strikes as Joint Operation
Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative 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 constitutionally a non-religious 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. Nigerian authorities have noted that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims.
Intelligence and Collaboration Preceding the Airstrikes
Nigeria supplied the intelligence for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a local broadcaster. He detailed that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, before contacted the Nigerian president for authorization, and subsequently 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 work with other countries, to fight terrorism, to stop the death of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the strikes in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with local officials.
Background of Violence in North-West Nigeria
Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some analysts say this affiliate started when herders joined together to fight bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is mostly Muslim.
Clashes between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in disputes for land and water.
- Clergy and religious leaders have increasingly been taken hostage, though some experts say this may be driven more by financial motives than religious discrimination.
- A Christmas Eve suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a separate insurgency largely unrelated to the violence in the north-west.
Continuing Unrest and Data
There have been numerous events 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 civilians,” not one religion. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”
Wider U.S. Military Posture
This intervention comes amid a wider pattern of American engagement overseas during this period. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the first year of this term has seen strikes in multiple countries and a major military buildup in another region.
No official from the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any casualties in the latest 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.”
