🔗 Share this article American Warns of Further Nigeria Airstrikes as Abuja Talks of 'Collaborative Continuing Missions'. The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled additional strikes against ISIS targets in northwest Nigeria. This follows a short time after U.S. military forces conducted operations against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has framed these efforts as part of a mission to end the slaughter of Christians. “The president was explicit last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” Hegseth wrote on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Top Diplomat Describes Actions as Joint Effort Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This comment came after Trump had earlier accused 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 sectarian targeting. Nigerian authorities have pointed out that militants attack both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Coordination Preceding the Airstrikes Nigeria supplied the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a local broadcaster. He explained that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, then called the Nigerian president for approval, and then 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 work with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.” The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities. Background of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria Forests in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as bases by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some observers say this affiliate started when herders joined together to fight bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is mostly Muslim. Conflicts between Muslim herders and mostly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in competition for land and water. Clergy and pastors have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, though some specialists say this may be driven more by financial motives 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 largely separate to the violence in the north-west. Ongoing Unrest and Data There have been numerous incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% of them affecting 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 “protecting Nigerians and civilians,” not one religion. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Wider U.S. Foreign Posture This action occurs amid a wider pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this administration. Despite campaigning as a “champion 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 major deployment of forces in another region. Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the recent airstrikes. When asked if more would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”
The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled additional strikes against ISIS targets in northwest Nigeria. This follows a short time after U.S. military forces conducted operations against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has framed these efforts as part of a mission to end the slaughter of Christians. “The president was explicit last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” Hegseth wrote on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Top Diplomat Describes Actions as Joint Effort Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This comment came after Trump had earlier accused 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 sectarian targeting. Nigerian authorities have pointed out that militants attack both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Coordination Preceding the Airstrikes Nigeria supplied the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a local broadcaster. He explained that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, then called the Nigerian president for approval, and then 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 work with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.” The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities. Background of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria Forests in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as bases by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some observers say this affiliate started when herders joined together to fight bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is mostly Muslim. Conflicts between Muslim herders and mostly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in competition for land and water. Clergy and pastors have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, though some specialists say this may be driven more by financial motives 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 largely separate to the violence in the north-west. Ongoing Unrest and Data There have been numerous incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% of them affecting 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 “protecting Nigerians and civilians,” not one religion. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Wider U.S. Foreign Posture This action occurs amid a wider pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this administration. Despite campaigning as a “champion 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 major deployment of forces in another region. Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the recent airstrikes. When asked if more would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”