🔗 Share this article American Issues Warning of Additional Nigeria Military Actions as Abuja Speaks of 'Collaborative Ongoing Missions'. The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has signaled new military actions against Islamic State strongholds in north-western Nigeria. This follows a short time after American forces took action against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has described these actions as part of a mission to halt the killing of Christians. “The president was explicit previously: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” the defense secretary wrote on a social platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Grateful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Top Diplomat Describes Actions as Collaborative Operation Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This comment followed after Trump had earlier accused Nigeria’s government of failing to prevent Christians from being killed. Nigeria is constitutionally a non-religious state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Violence 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 target both Christians and Muslims. Information and Coordination Behind the Airstrikes Nigeria supplied the intelligence for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He explained that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, before contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and then spoke with the American official again. “We have been working closely 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 end the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom said the strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with Nigerian authorities. Background of Violence in North-West 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 predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in competition for land and water. Clergy and religious leaders 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 took the lives of at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a distinct insurgency largely separate to the violence in the north-west. Ongoing Unrest and Data 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 hardest-hit regions. Tuggar stressed that the mission was about “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not one religion. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Broader American Military Posture This action comes amid a broader pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the first year of this presidency has seen military actions in several countries and a significant deployment of forces in another region. Neither the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any fatalities in the recent airstrikes. When asked 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 ongoing.”
The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has signaled new military actions against Islamic State strongholds in north-western Nigeria. This follows a short time after American forces took action against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has described these actions as part of a mission to halt the killing of Christians. “The president was explicit previously: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” the defense secretary wrote on a social platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Grateful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Top Diplomat Describes Actions as Collaborative Operation Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This comment followed after Trump had earlier accused Nigeria’s government of failing to prevent Christians from being killed. Nigeria is constitutionally a non-religious state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Violence 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 target both Christians and Muslims. Information and Coordination Behind the Airstrikes Nigeria supplied the intelligence for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He explained that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, before contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and then spoke with the American official again. “We have been working closely 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 end the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom said the strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with Nigerian authorities. Background of Violence in North-West 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 predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in competition for land and water. Clergy and religious leaders 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 took the lives of at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a distinct insurgency largely separate to the violence in the north-west. Ongoing Unrest and Data 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 hardest-hit regions. Tuggar stressed that the mission was about “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not one religion. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Broader American Military Posture This action comes amid a broader pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the first year of this presidency has seen military actions in several countries and a significant deployment of forces in another region. Neither the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any fatalities in the recent airstrikes. When asked 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 ongoing.”