American Signals of Additional Nigerian Airstrikes as Nigeria's Capital Speaks of 'Joint Ongoing Operations'.
The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled new airstrikes against IS strongholds in north-western Nigeria. This comes hours after American forces launched strikes against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these efforts as part of a campaign to halt the slaughter of Christians.
“The president was clear last month: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” the defense secretary wrote on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Grateful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”
Nigeria's Foreign Minister Describes Actions as Collaborative Effort
Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This statement came after Trump had previously alleged Nigeria’s government of failing 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 conservative groups in the United States, who frame it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have noted that militants attack both Christians and Muslims.
Information and Coordination Behind the Airstrikes
Nigeria supplied the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He explained that he had consulted with his American opposite number, 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 always been hoping for, to work with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africa Command confirmed the strikes in Sokoto state had been carried out in coordination with local officials.
Context of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria
Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by criminal groups and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some analysts say this affiliate originated when pastoralists joined together to fight bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is mostly 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 been increasingly taken hostage, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives 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 distinct conflict mostly unrelated to the violence in the north-west.
Ongoing Unrest and Statistics
There have been thousands of incidents 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 hardest-hit regions.
Tuggar stressed that the mission was about “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”
Broader American Military Policy
This action comes amid a broader pattern of American activity overseas during this period. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period of this presidency has seen military actions in several countries and a major deployment of forces in another region.
Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When questioned if more would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is ongoing.”
