US Signals of More Nigerian Strikes as Abuja Talks of 'Collaborative Continuing Missions'.
The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has warned of further airstrikes against ISIS positions in northwest Nigeria. This comes hours after U.S. military forces launched strikes against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has framed these efforts as part of a campaign to halt the slaughter of Christians.
“The commander-in-chief was explicit last month: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” the defense secretary wrote on a social platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”
The Nigerian Top Diplomat Frames Actions as Joint Operation
Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This statement came after Trump had previously alleged Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to prevent Christians from being killed.
Nigeria is officially a non-religious state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has drawn attention from religious groups in the United States, who describe it as religious persecution. Nigerian authorities have noted that militants attack both Christians and Muslims.
Intelligence and Coordination Behind the Missions
Nigeria supplied the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a local broadcaster. He detailed that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, then called the Nigerian president for approval, and subsequently spoke with the American official again.
“We have been working closely 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 death of blameless 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 Nigerian authorities.
Context of Violence in North-West Nigeria
Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as bases by gangs of armed bandits and members of ISSP. Some analysts say this affiliate originated when pastoralists joined together to combat bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is mostly Muslim.
Clashes between pastoralists and predominantly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in competition for land and water.
- Priests and religious leaders have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than sectarian hatred.
- A December 24th attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a distinct insurgency mostly unrelated to the violence in the north-west.
Continuing Unrest and Statistics
There have been thousands of incidents 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 “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not one religion. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”
Broader American Foreign Policy
This intervention occurs amid a broader pattern of American activity overseas during this administration. Despite campaigning as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period of this presidency has seen strikes in several countries and a significant deployment of forces in another region.
Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any fatalities in the latest airstrikes. When asked if more would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”
