🔗 Share this article US Signals of Further Nigerian Strikes as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Collaborative Continuing Missions'. The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has indicated new military actions against ISIS targets in north-western Nigeria. This comes a short time after American forces took action against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these efforts as part of a campaign to end the slaughter of Christians. “The president was clear last month: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” Hegseth wrote on a social platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Nigerian government backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Foreign Minister Describes Strikes as Joint Operation Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This comment followed after the former U.S. leader had earlier accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to stop Christians from being killed. Nigeria is officially a secular state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Violence against Christians has garnered focus from religious groups in the United States, who describe it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have pointed out that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Coordination Behind the Missions Nigeria supplied the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He detailed that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, then called the Nigerian president for authorization, and subsequently conferred with the American official again. “We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the death of blameless Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom confirmed the strikes in Sokoto state had been carried out in coordination with local officials. Context 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 originated when pastoralists joined together to combat bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is mostly Muslim. Clashes between pastoralists and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by communal and sectarian factors, but their roots lie in competition for resources. Clergy and religious leaders have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, 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 injured dozens more, in a distinct conflict largely unrelated to the violence in the north-west. Continuing Violence and Data There have been numerous 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 most affected regions. Tuggar stressed that the operation was about “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Broader American Military Posture This action comes amid a wider pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this administration. 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 deployment of forces in another region. Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any casualties in the recent airstrikes. When asked if additional actions would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”
The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has indicated new military actions against ISIS targets in north-western Nigeria. This comes a short time after American forces took action against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these efforts as part of a campaign to end the slaughter of Christians. “The president was clear last month: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” Hegseth wrote on a social platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Nigerian government backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Foreign Minister Describes Strikes as Joint Operation Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This comment followed after the former U.S. leader had earlier accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to stop Christians from being killed. Nigeria is officially a secular state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Violence against Christians has garnered focus from religious groups in the United States, who describe it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have pointed out that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Coordination Behind the Missions Nigeria supplied the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He detailed that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, then called the Nigerian president for authorization, and subsequently conferred with the American official again. “We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve always been hoping for, to partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the death of blameless Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom confirmed the strikes in Sokoto state had been carried out in coordination with local officials. Context 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 originated when pastoralists joined together to combat bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is mostly Muslim. Clashes between pastoralists and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by communal and sectarian factors, but their roots lie in competition for resources. Clergy and religious leaders have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, 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 injured dozens more, in a distinct conflict largely unrelated to the violence in the north-west. Continuing Violence and Data There have been numerous 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 most affected regions. Tuggar stressed that the operation was about “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Broader American Military Posture This action comes amid a wider pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this administration. 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 deployment of forces in another region. Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any casualties in the recent airstrikes. When asked if additional actions would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”