🔗 Share this article US Issues Warning of Further Nigerian Military Actions as Abuja Talks of 'Collaborative Continuing Missions'. The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has warned of further strikes against Islamic State strongholds in northwest Nigeria. This comes hours after American forces took action against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has characterized these actions as part of a campaign to end the killing of Christians. “The commander-in-chief was clear last month: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth wrote on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” Nigeria's Foreign Minister Frames Strikes as Joint Effort Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint continuing operations.” This comment followed after the former U.S. leader had earlier alleged Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to prevent 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 sectarian targeting. Nigerian authorities have noted that militants attack both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Coordination Behind the Airstrikes Nigeria provided the intelligence for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a local broadcaster. He explained that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, then contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and then spoke with the American official again. “We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “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 Africa Command said the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with Nigerian authorities. Background 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 Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some analysts say this affiliate started when herders banded together to combat bandits due to a absence 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 roots lie in competition for resources. Priests 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 insurgency 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 half of them targeting civilians, according to research 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 joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Broader American Military Posture This action comes amid a wider pattern of American activity overseas during this administration. Despite campaigning as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period of this presidency has seen military actions in multiple countries and a significant military buildup in another region. No official from the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When questioned if more would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”
The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has warned of further strikes against Islamic State strongholds in northwest Nigeria. This comes hours after American forces took action against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has characterized these actions as part of a campaign to end the killing of Christians. “The commander-in-chief was clear last month: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth wrote on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” Nigeria's Foreign Minister Frames Strikes as Joint Effort Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint continuing operations.” This comment followed after the former U.S. leader had earlier alleged Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to prevent 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 sectarian targeting. Nigerian authorities have noted that militants attack both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Coordination Behind the Airstrikes Nigeria provided the intelligence for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a local broadcaster. He explained that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, then contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and then spoke with the American official again. “We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “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 Africa Command said the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with Nigerian authorities. Background 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 Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some analysts say this affiliate started when herders banded together to combat bandits due to a absence 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 roots lie in competition for resources. Priests 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 insurgency 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 half of them targeting civilians, according to research 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 joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Broader American Military Posture This action comes amid a wider pattern of American activity overseas during this administration. Despite campaigning as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period of this presidency has seen military actions in multiple countries and a significant military buildup in another region. No official from the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When questioned if more would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”