🔗 Share this article US Warns of Additional Nigerian Airstrikes as Abuja Speaks of 'Joint Ongoing Missions'. The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled new strikes against Islamic State positions in northwest Nigeria. This comes hours after U.S. military forces launched strikes against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has described these efforts as part of a mission to end the killing of Christians. “The president was clear last month: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth wrote on a social platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” Nigeria's Foreign Minister Frames Strikes as Collaborative Operation Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This statement came after the former U.S. leader had previously accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to prevent 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 religious groups in the United States, who describe it as religious persecution. The government in Abuja have pointed out that militants attack both Christians and Muslims. Information and Coordination Preceding the Missions Nigerian authorities provided the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a local broadcaster. He detailed that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, before called the Nigerian president for approval, and subsequently conferred with the American official again. “We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve long desired, 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 carried out in concert with local officials. Context of Conflict in Northwestern Nigeria Wooded areas 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 herders banded together to fight bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim. Clashes between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in disputes for land and water. Clergy and pastors have increasingly been kidnapped for ransom, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than religious discrimination. A Christmas Eve suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a separate conflict largely separate to the violence in the north-west. Continuing Violence and Statistics There have been thousands of incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% of them targeting civilians, according to conflict monitoring data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the hardest-hit regions. Tuggar emphasized that the mission was about “safeguarding Nigerians and innocent lives,” not a single faith. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.” Wider U.S. Foreign Posture This action occurs amid a wider pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the initial period of this term has seen military actions in several countries and a significant military buildup in another region. Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When asked if additional actions would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is ongoing.”
The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled new strikes against Islamic State positions in northwest Nigeria. This comes hours after U.S. military forces launched strikes against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has described these efforts as part of a mission to end the killing of Christians. “The president was clear last month: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth wrote on a social platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” Nigeria's Foreign Minister Frames Strikes as Collaborative Operation Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the American military actions were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This statement came after the former U.S. leader had previously accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to prevent 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 religious groups in the United States, who describe it as religious persecution. The government in Abuja have pointed out that militants attack both Christians and Muslims. Information and Coordination Preceding the Missions Nigerian authorities provided the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a local broadcaster. He detailed that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, before called the Nigerian president for approval, and subsequently conferred with the American official again. “We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve long desired, 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 carried out in concert with local officials. Context of Conflict in Northwestern Nigeria Wooded areas 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 herders banded together to fight bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim. Clashes between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in disputes for land and water. Clergy and pastors have increasingly been kidnapped for ransom, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than religious discrimination. A Christmas Eve suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a separate conflict largely separate to the violence in the north-west. Continuing Violence and Statistics There have been thousands of incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% of them targeting civilians, according to conflict monitoring data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the hardest-hit regions. Tuggar emphasized that the mission was about “safeguarding Nigerians and innocent lives,” not a single faith. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.” Wider U.S. Foreign Posture This action occurs amid a wider pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the initial period of this term has seen military actions in several countries and a significant military buildup in another region. Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When asked if additional actions would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is ongoing.”