American Signals of Additional Nigeria Airstrikes as Abuja Speaks of 'Collaborative Ongoing Missions'.
The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled additional military actions against IS positions in north-western Nigeria. This comes hours after American forces took action against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has framed these efforts as part of a campaign to stop the slaughter of Christians.
“The commander-in-chief was explicit last month: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria must end,” the defense secretary stated on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Thankful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”
The Nigerian Top Diplomat Describes Actions as Collaborative Effort
Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This statement came after Trump had previously accused Nigeria’s government of failing to stop Christians from being killed.
Nigeria is officially 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 noted that militants target both Christians and Muslims.
Information and Coordination Preceding the Airstrikes
Nigerian authorities provided the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He detailed that he had spoken with his American opposite number, then called the Nigerian president for approval, and subsequently spoke with the American official again.
“We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to stop the death of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.”
The U.S. military’s Africom said the operations in Sokoto state had been executed in concert with Nigerian authorities.
Background of Conflict in North-West Nigeria
Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as hideouts by criminal groups and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some observers say this IS branch started when pastoralists joined together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is mostly Muslim.
Conflicts between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in disputes for resources.
- Priests and pastors have been increasingly taken hostage, though some specialists 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 injured dozens more, in a separate conflict mostly unrelated to the violence in the north-west.
Ongoing Violence and Data
There have been numerous incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% 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 “protecting Nigerians and civilians,” not one religion. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”
Broader U.S. Military Policy
This action comes amid a wider pattern of American engagement overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “candidate of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “endless wars,” the first year of this term has seen strikes in multiple countries and a significant military buildup in another region.
Neither the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any fatalities in the recent airstrikes. When questioned if more would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a new phase of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is continuing.”
