🔗 Share this article US Issues Warning of More Nigerian Military Actions as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Collaborative Continuing Missions'. The American Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has warned of new strikes against ISIS strongholds in north-western Nigeria. This follows a short time after U.S. military forces launched strikes against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has described these efforts as part of a campaign to end the killing of Christians. “The president was clear previously: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria must end,” Hegseth stated on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Foreign Minister Describes Strikes as Collaborative Operation Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This statement followed after the former U.S. leader had earlier alleged Nigeria’s government of not doing enough 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 drawn attention from religious groups in the United States, who frame it as religious persecution. The government in Abuja have pointed out that militants target both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Coordination Preceding the Airstrikes Nigeria supplied the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a local broadcaster. He explained that he had consulted with his American opposite number, before called the Nigerian president for authorization, and then conferred with the American official again. “We have been working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve long desired, to partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to combat terrorism, to end the death of blameless Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.” The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities. Background of Conflict 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 analysts say this IS branch started when herders joined together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim. Clashes between Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in competition for land and water. Clergy and pastors have been increasingly taken hostage, though some specialists say this may be driven more by financial motives than religious discrimination. A December 24th suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a distinct insurgency largely separate to the violence in the north-west. Continuing Unrest and Statistics There have been numerous events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them targeting civilians, according to conflict monitoring data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the hardest-hit regions. Tuggar emphasized that the operation was about “protecting Nigerians and civilians,” not one religion. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Wider U.S. Foreign Policy This intervention occurs amid a broader pattern of U.S. military activity 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 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 more would follow, Tuggar responded: “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 new strikes against ISIS strongholds in north-western Nigeria. This follows a short time after U.S. military forces launched strikes against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has described these efforts as part of a campaign to end the killing of Christians. “The president was clear previously: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria must end,” Hegseth stated on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Foreign Minister Describes Strikes as Collaborative Operation Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative continuing operations.” This statement followed after the former U.S. leader had earlier alleged Nigeria’s government of not doing enough 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 drawn attention from religious groups in the United States, who frame it as religious persecution. The government in Abuja have pointed out that militants target both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Coordination Preceding the Airstrikes Nigeria supplied the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a local broadcaster. He explained that he had consulted with his American opposite number, before called the Nigerian president for authorization, and then conferred with the American official again. “We have been working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve long desired, to partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to combat terrorism, to end the death of blameless Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.” The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities. Background of Conflict 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 analysts say this IS branch started when herders joined together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim. Clashes between Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in competition for land and water. Clergy and pastors have been increasingly taken hostage, though some specialists say this may be driven more by financial motives than religious discrimination. A December 24th suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a distinct insurgency largely separate to the violence in the north-west. Continuing Unrest and Statistics There have been numerous events of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them targeting civilians, according to conflict monitoring data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the hardest-hit regions. Tuggar emphasized that the operation was about “protecting Nigerians and civilians,” not one religion. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Wider U.S. Foreign Policy This intervention occurs amid a broader pattern of U.S. military activity 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 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 more would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a new phase of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is ongoing.”