🔗 Share this article American Warns of Further Nigerian Airstrikes as Abuja Talks of 'Collaborative Ongoing Missions'. The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has indicated additional airstrikes against ISIS targets in north-western Nigeria. This follows hours after U.S. military forces launched strikes against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has described these actions as part of a campaign to stop the killing of Christians. “The president was clear previously: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria must end,” Hegseth stated on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Thankful for Nigerian government backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Top Diplomat Frames Strikes as Collaborative Effort Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint continuing operations.” This statement followed after the former U.S. leader had previously accused Nigeria’s government of failing to stop 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 garnered focus from religious groups in the United States, who frame it as religious persecution. Nigerian authorities have noted that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims. Information and Collaboration Preceding the Missions Nigeria supplied the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He explained that he had consulted with his American opposite number, 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 combat terrorism, to end the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom confirmed the strikes in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with Nigerian authorities. Context of Violence 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 originated when pastoralists 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 exacerbated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in competition for resources. Priests and pastors 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 took the lives of at least five people and injured dozens more, in a distinct insurgency mostly separate to the violence in the north-west. Ongoing Violence and Data There have been numerous events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them affecting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the most affected regions. Tuggar emphasized that the operation 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.” Broader U.S. Military Policy This action occurs amid a wider pattern of American engagement overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “champion of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the first year of this term has seen military actions in several countries and a major deployment of forces in another region. Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When questioned if more would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is continuing.”
The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has indicated additional airstrikes against ISIS targets in north-western Nigeria. This follows hours after U.S. military forces launched strikes against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has described these actions as part of a campaign to stop the killing of Christians. “The president was clear previously: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria must end,” Hegseth stated on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Thankful for Nigerian government backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Top Diplomat Frames Strikes as Collaborative Effort Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint continuing operations.” This statement followed after the former U.S. leader had previously accused Nigeria’s government of failing to stop 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 garnered focus from religious groups in the United States, who frame it as religious persecution. Nigerian authorities have noted that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims. Information and Collaboration Preceding the Missions Nigeria supplied the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He explained that he had consulted with his American opposite number, 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 combat terrorism, to end the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom confirmed the strikes in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with Nigerian authorities. Context of Violence 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 originated when pastoralists 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 exacerbated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in competition for resources. Priests and pastors 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 took the lives of at least five people and injured dozens more, in a distinct insurgency mostly separate to the violence in the north-west. Ongoing Violence and Data There have been numerous events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them affecting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the most affected regions. Tuggar emphasized that the operation 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.” Broader U.S. Military Policy This action occurs amid a wider pattern of American engagement overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “champion of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the first year of this term has seen military actions in several countries and a major deployment of forces in another region. Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When questioned if more would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is continuing.”