🔗 Share this article American Warns of More Nigeria Airstrikes as Abuja Talks of 'Collaborative Ongoing Missions'. The American Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has warned of additional military actions against Islamic State positions in north-western Nigeria. This follows hours after American forces launched strikes against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has framed these actions as part of a mission to end the killing of Christians. “The president was clear previously: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth wrote on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Grateful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” Nigeria's Top Diplomat Describes Actions 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 previously alleged Nigeria’s government of failing to prevent Christians from being killed. Nigeria is officially a non-religious state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Violence against Christians has drawn attention from conservative groups in the United States, who describe it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have pointed out that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Collaboration Behind the Missions Nigerian authorities supplied the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a local broadcaster. He detailed 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 stated. “This is what we’ve long desired, to partner with the Americans, to work with other countries, to combat terrorism, to end the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom confirmed the operations in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with local officials. Context of Conflict in North-West Nigeria Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. 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 Muslim herders and mostly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in disputes for land and water. Priests and pastors have increasingly been taken hostage, though some specialists say this may be driven more by financial motives 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 separate insurgency mostly unrelated to the violence in the north-west. Ongoing Unrest and Data There have been numerous incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half 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 operation was about “protecting Nigerians and innocent lives,” not one religion. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.” Broader U.S. Foreign Posture This intervention occurs amid a wider pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this period. Despite running as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the initial period of this presidency has seen military actions in multiple countries and a major 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 asked if more would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a new phase of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is ongoing.”
The American Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has warned of additional military actions against Islamic State positions in north-western Nigeria. This follows hours after American forces launched strikes against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has framed these actions as part of a mission to end the killing of Christians. “The president was clear previously: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth wrote on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Grateful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” Nigeria's Top Diplomat Describes Actions 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 previously alleged Nigeria’s government of failing to prevent Christians from being killed. Nigeria is officially a non-religious state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Violence against Christians has drawn attention from conservative groups in the United States, who describe it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have pointed out that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Collaboration Behind the Missions Nigerian authorities supplied the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a local broadcaster. He detailed 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 stated. “This is what we’ve long desired, to partner with the Americans, to work with other countries, to combat terrorism, to end the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom confirmed the operations in Sokoto state had been executed in coordination with local officials. Context of Conflict in North-West Nigeria Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. 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 Muslim herders and mostly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in disputes for land and water. Priests and pastors have increasingly been taken hostage, though some specialists say this may be driven more by financial motives 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 separate insurgency mostly unrelated to the violence in the north-west. Ongoing Unrest and Data There have been numerous incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half 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 operation was about “protecting Nigerians and innocent lives,” not one religion. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.” Broader U.S. Foreign Posture This intervention occurs amid a wider pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this period. Despite running as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the initial period of this presidency has seen military actions in multiple countries and a major 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 asked if more would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a new phase of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is ongoing.”