American Issues Warning of Further Nigeria Military Actions as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Collaborative Ongoing Missions'.
The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has indicated further military actions against ISIS positions in north-western Nigeria. This follows a short time after U.S. military forces conducted operations against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these efforts as part of a campaign to halt the killing of Christians.
“The president was explicit last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth posted on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Thankful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”
The Nigerian Top Diplomat Frames Actions as Collaborative Effort
Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This statement 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 almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Violence against Christians has garnered focus from religious groups in the United States, who frame it as sectarian targeting. Nigerian authorities have noted that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims.
Information and Collaboration Preceding the Missions
Nigeria supplied the information for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He explained that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, before contacted the Nigerian president for approval, 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 partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to stop the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africom said the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with local officials.
Context of Conflict in North-West Nigeria
Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by criminal groups and members of ISSP. Some analysts say this affiliate originated when pastoralists banded together to fight bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.
Conflicts between Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in disputes for resources.
- Priests and pastors have been increasingly taken hostage, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than sectarian hatred.
- A Christmas Eve attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a distinct conflict largely unrelated to the violence in the north-west.
Ongoing Unrest and Statistics
There have been numerous 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 most affected regions.
Tuggar emphasized that the operation was about “protecting Nigerians and innocent lives,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”
Broader U.S. Foreign Policy
This action occurs amid a broader pattern of American engagement overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “endless wars,” the initial period of this presidency has seen strikes in multiple countries and a significant 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 additional actions would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a new phase of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is ongoing.”
