🔗 Share this article American Warns of Additional Nigerian Military Actions as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Collaborative Continuing Missions'. The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled additional airstrikes against Islamic State positions in north-western Nigeria. This follows a short time after American forces launched strikes against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these efforts as part of a mission to halt the slaughter of Christians. “The president was clear previously: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria must end,” Hegseth stated on a social platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Thankful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” Nigeria's Top Diplomat Describes Strikes as Joint Effort Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This comment followed after Trump had earlier 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 conservative groups in the United States, who describe it as sectarian targeting. Nigerian authorities have pointed out that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims. Information and Collaboration Behind the Airstrikes Nigerian authorities provided the information for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a local broadcaster. He explained that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, before contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and then 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 work with the Americans, to work with other countries, to fight terrorism, to stop the death of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom confirmed the strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with Nigerian authorities. Background of Conflict in Northwestern Nigeria Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some analysts say this IS branch originated when pastoralists banded together to fight bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is mostly Muslim. Clashes between Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in competition for resources. Priests and religious leaders have increasingly been taken hostage, though some specialists say this may be driven more by financial motives than religious discrimination. A December 24th suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a separate conflict mostly separate to the violence in the north-west. Continuing Violence and Statistics 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 most affected regions. Tuggar stressed 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.” Broader American Foreign Posture This intervention comes amid a broader pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “candidate of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the first year of this presidency has seen strikes in several countries and a major military buildup in another region. No official from the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When questioned if more would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”
The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled additional airstrikes against Islamic State positions in north-western Nigeria. This follows a short time after American forces launched strikes against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these efforts as part of a mission to halt the slaughter of Christians. “The president was clear previously: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria must end,” Hegseth stated on a social platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Thankful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” Nigeria's Top Diplomat Describes Strikes as Joint Effort Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This comment followed after Trump had earlier 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 conservative groups in the United States, who describe it as sectarian targeting. Nigerian authorities have pointed out that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims. Information and Collaboration Behind the Airstrikes Nigerian authorities provided the information for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a local broadcaster. He explained that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, before contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and then 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 work with the Americans, to work with other countries, to fight terrorism, to stop the death of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom confirmed the strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with Nigerian authorities. Background of Conflict in Northwestern Nigeria Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some analysts say this IS branch originated when pastoralists banded together to fight bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is mostly Muslim. Clashes between Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in competition for resources. Priests and religious leaders have increasingly been taken hostage, though some specialists say this may be driven more by financial motives than religious discrimination. A December 24th suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a separate conflict mostly separate to the violence in the north-west. Continuing Violence and Statistics 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 most affected regions. Tuggar stressed 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.” Broader American Foreign Posture This intervention comes amid a broader pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “candidate of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the first year of this presidency has seen strikes in several countries and a major military buildup in another region. No official from the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When questioned if more would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”