American Warns of More Nigerian Airstrikes as Abuja Speaks of 'Collaborative Ongoing Missions'.
The American Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has warned of new strikes against ISIS targets in northwest Nigeria. This comes hours after American forces launched strikes against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these efforts as part of a mission to stop the slaughter of Christians.
“The commander-in-chief was explicit last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” the defense secretary posted on a social platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”
Nigeria's Top Diplomat Frames Strikes as Joint Operation
Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This comment came after the former U.S. leader had earlier accused Nigeria’s government of failing to prevent Christians from being killed.
Nigeria is constitutionally a secular 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 pointed out that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims.
Intelligence and Collaboration Preceding the Airstrikes
Nigerian authorities supplied the intelligence for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He explained that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, before contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and then spoke with the American official again.
“We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve long desired, to work with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end 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 coordination with Nigerian authorities.
Background of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria
Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by gangs of armed bandits and members of ISSP. Some analysts say this IS branch started when pastoralists joined together to combat bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly 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.
- Priests and religious leaders have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, though some specialists say this may be driven more by financial motives than religious discrimination.
- A December 24th attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and injured dozens more, in a separate 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 emphasized that the mission was about “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not one religion. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”
Wider American Foreign Posture
This action comes amid a wider pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “endless wars,” the first year of this presidency has seen strikes in several countries and a major military buildup in another region.
Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any casualties in the recent airstrikes. When questioned if additional actions would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is ongoing.”
