🔗 Share this article US Issues Warning of Additional Nigerian Military Actions as Abuja Speaks of 'Joint Continuing Missions'. The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has warned of further strikes against Islamic State strongholds in north-western Nigeria. This comes a short time after American forces launched strikes against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has framed these efforts as part of a campaign to end the slaughter of Christians. “The commander-in-chief was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria must end,” Hegseth wrote on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” Nigeria's Foreign Minister Frames Strikes as Joint Operation Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This comment followed after Trump had previously accused Nigeria’s government of failing to stop Christians from being killed. Nigeria is constitutionally a secular state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has drawn attention from religious groups in the United States, who frame it as religious persecution. Nigerian authorities have noted that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Coordination Behind the Airstrikes Nigerian authorities provided the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He detailed that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, then called the Nigerian president for authorization, and then conferred with the American official again. “We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to combat 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 coordination 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 criminal groups and members of ISSP. Some observers say this affiliate originated when pastoralists joined together to fight 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 communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in disputes for resources. Priests and religious leaders have been increasingly taken hostage, though some experts say this may be driven more by financial motives than sectarian hatred. A December 24th suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a distinct insurgency mostly separate to the violence in the north-west. Continuing Violence and Data There have been thousands of 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 hardest-hit regions. Tuggar stressed that the operation was about “safeguarding Nigerians and innocent lives,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Wider U.S. Foreign Policy This intervention comes amid a wider pattern of American engagement overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the first year of this presidency has seen military actions in multiple countries and a significant military buildup in another region. No official from the U.S. or 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 old conflict. For us it is something that is ongoing.”
The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has warned of further strikes against Islamic State strongholds in north-western Nigeria. This comes a short time after American forces launched strikes against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has framed these efforts as part of a campaign to end the slaughter of Christians. “The commander-in-chief was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria must end,” Hegseth wrote on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” Nigeria's Foreign Minister Frames Strikes as Joint Operation Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This comment followed after Trump had previously accused Nigeria’s government of failing to stop Christians from being killed. Nigeria is constitutionally a secular state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has drawn attention from religious groups in the United States, who frame it as religious persecution. Nigerian authorities have noted that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Coordination Behind the Airstrikes Nigerian authorities provided the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He detailed that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, then called the Nigerian president for authorization, and then conferred with the American official again. “We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to combat 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 coordination 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 criminal groups and members of ISSP. Some observers say this affiliate originated when pastoralists joined together to fight 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 communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in disputes for resources. Priests and religious leaders have been increasingly taken hostage, though some experts say this may be driven more by financial motives than sectarian hatred. A December 24th suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a distinct insurgency mostly separate to the violence in the north-west. Continuing Violence and Data There have been thousands of 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 hardest-hit regions. Tuggar stressed that the operation was about “safeguarding Nigerians and innocent lives,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Wider U.S. Foreign Policy This intervention comes amid a wider pattern of American engagement overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the first year of this presidency has seen military actions in multiple countries and a significant military buildup in another region. No official from the U.S. or 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 old conflict. For us it is something that is ongoing.”