US Signals of Additional Nigerian Airstrikes as Abuja Talks of 'Collaborative Continuing Operations'.
The American Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has warned of additional strikes against IS strongholds in north-western Nigeria. This comes a short time after American forces conducted operations against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these efforts as part of a campaign to end the slaughter of Christians.
“The commander-in-chief was explicit last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria must end,” the defense secretary stated on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”
The Nigerian Top Diplomat Frames Strikes as Collaborative Effort
Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This statement followed after the former U.S. leader had previously accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to stop Christians from being killed.
Nigeria is constitutionally a secular state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has garnered focus from religious groups in the United States, who frame it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have pointed out that militants target both Christians and Muslims.
Information and Coordination Preceding the Missions
Nigeria provided the information for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a local broadcaster. He explained that he had consulted with his American opposite number, before called the Nigerian president for approval, and subsequently conferred with the American official again.
“We have been working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to partner with the Americans, to work with other countries, to combat terrorism, to end the death of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africa Command confirmed the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities.
Background of Conflict in Northwestern Nigeria
Forests in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of ISSP. Some analysts say this affiliate originated when herders banded 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 communal and sectarian factors, but their roots lie in competition for land and water.
- Priests and pastors have been increasingly taken hostage, though some specialists say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than religious discrimination.
- A Christmas Eve suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and injured dozens more, in a distinct conflict 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 50% of them affecting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the hardest-hit regions.
Tuggar stressed that the operation was about “safeguarding Nigerians and innocent lives,” not one religion. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not aimed at 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 “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the first year of this term has seen strikes in several countries and a significant military buildup in another region.
No official from the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any casualties in the recent airstrikes. When questioned if additional actions would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an old conflict. For us it is something that is ongoing.”