American Signals of Additional Nigeria Airstrikes as Abuja Speaks of 'Joint Ongoing Operations'.
The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has signaled new military actions against IS strongholds in north-western Nigeria. This follows hours after American forces launched strikes against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has framed these efforts as part of a mission to end the killing of Christians.
“The commander-in-chief was clear previously: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” the defense secretary wrote on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Grateful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”
The Nigerian Foreign Minister Frames Strikes as Collaborative Effort
Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This comment followed after the former U.S. leader had earlier accused 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 drawn attention from conservative groups in the United States, who frame it as religious persecution. The government in Abuja have noted that militants attack both Christians and Muslims.
Information and Coordination Preceding the Missions
Nigeria provided the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He explained that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, before called the Nigerian president for approval, and then spoke with the American official again.
“We have been working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to partner with the Americans, to work with other countries, to fight 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 executed in concert with local officials.
Context of Conflict in North-West 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 IS branch started when pastoralists banded together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.
Clashes between Muslim herders and mostly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by communal and sectarian factors, but their roots lie in disputes for resources.
- Priests and religious leaders have been increasingly taken hostage, though some specialists say this may be driven more by financial motives 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 largely separate to the violence in the north-west.
Ongoing Violence and Data
There have been numerous events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them targeting civilians, according to conflict monitoring 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 collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”
Broader U.S. Foreign Policy
This intervention comes amid a wider pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this administration. Despite campaigning as a “champion of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the first year of this presidency has seen strikes in several countries and a significant deployment of forces in another region.
No official from the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any fatalities in the latest 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.”
