🔗 Share this article US Warns of Additional Nigerian Airstrikes as Abuja Talks of 'Joint Continuing Missions'. The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has warned of further military actions against ISIS strongholds in northwest Nigeria. This comes hours after U.S. military forces took action against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has framed these efforts as part of a campaign to halt the slaughter of Christians. “The president was explicit last month: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria must end,” Hegseth wrote on a social platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Grateful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Top Diplomat Describes Actions as Joint Effort Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This comment followed after the former U.S. leader had previously accused Nigeria’s government of failing to stop Christians from being killed. Nigeria is constitutionally a non-religious state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has garnered focus from religious groups in the United States, who frame it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have pointed out that militants attack both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Collaboration Preceding the Missions Nigerian authorities supplied the information for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He detailed that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, then contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and then 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 work with the Americans, to work with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.” The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in concert with Nigerian authorities. Background of Violence in North-West Nigeria Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by criminal groups and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some analysts say this affiliate started when herders banded together to fight bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim. Clashes between Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in disputes for land and water. Priests and religious leaders have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than sectarian hatred. A Christmas Eve attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a separate insurgency largely unrelated to the violence in the north-west. Continuing Unrest and Statistics There have been thousands of events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% 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 mission was about “protecting Nigerians and civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.” Broader U.S. Military Posture This action occurs amid a wider pattern of American engagement overseas during this period. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the initial period of this term has seen strikes in several countries and a significant military buildup in another region. Neither the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any fatalities in the recent airstrikes. When questioned if more would follow, Tuggar responded: “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 warned of further military actions against ISIS strongholds in northwest Nigeria. This comes hours after U.S. military forces took action against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has framed these efforts as part of a campaign to halt the slaughter of Christians. “The president was explicit last month: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria must end,” Hegseth wrote on a social platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Grateful for Abuja's backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Top Diplomat Describes Actions as Joint Effort Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This comment followed after the former U.S. leader had previously accused Nigeria’s government of failing to stop Christians from being killed. Nigeria is constitutionally a non-religious state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has garnered focus from religious groups in the United States, who frame it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have pointed out that militants attack both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Collaboration Preceding the Missions Nigerian authorities supplied the information for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He detailed that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, then contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and then 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 work with the Americans, to work with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.” The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in concert with Nigerian authorities. Background of Violence in North-West Nigeria Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by criminal groups and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some analysts say this affiliate started when herders banded together to fight bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim. Clashes between Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in disputes for land and water. Priests and religious leaders have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than sectarian hatred. A Christmas Eve attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a separate insurgency largely unrelated to the violence in the north-west. Continuing Unrest and Statistics There have been thousands of events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% 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 mission was about “protecting Nigerians and civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.” Broader U.S. Military Posture This action occurs amid a wider pattern of American engagement overseas during this period. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the initial period of this term has seen strikes in several countries and a significant military buildup in another region. Neither the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any fatalities in the recent airstrikes. When questioned if more would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”