US Warns of Additional Nigeria Military Actions as Abuja Talks of 'Collaborative Continuing Operations'.
The American Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has indicated new military actions against ISIS positions in north-western Nigeria. This comes a short time after American forces conducted operations against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has framed these efforts as part of a mission to end the slaughter of Christians.
“The president was clear last month: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth stated on a social platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Grateful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”
Nigeria's Top Diplomat Frames Actions as Joint Operation
Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This statement followed after the former U.S. leader had earlier accused Nigeria’s government of failing to stop Christians from being killed.
Nigeria is officially a secular state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Violence 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 Missions
Nigeria supplied the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He explained that he had consulted 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 stated. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to work with the Americans, to work with other countries, to combat terrorism, to stop the death of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africom said the strikes in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with Nigerian authorities.
Context of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria
Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of ISSP. Some observers say this affiliate started when herders banded together to combat bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.
Clashes between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in competition for resources.
- Priests and pastors have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than religious discrimination.
- A December 24th suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a distinct conflict mostly separate to the violence in the north-west.
Continuing Violence and Statistics
There have been thousands of 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 most affected regions.
Tuggar stressed that the mission was about “protecting Nigerians and civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”
Wider U.S. Military Posture
This action occurs amid a wider pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this administration. Despite campaigning as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the first year of this term has seen military actions in several countries and a significant deployment of forces in another region.
No official from the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any fatalities in the latest airstrikes. When questioned if additional actions would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a new phase of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is continuing.”
