🔗 Share this article American Warns of Additional Nigeria Military Actions as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Collaborative Continuing Operations'. The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has indicated additional military actions against IS targets in northwest Nigeria. This follows hours after U.S. military forces took action against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has framed these efforts as part of a mission to stop the killing of Christians. “The president was explicit last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” Hegseth posted on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Thankful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Foreign Minister Frames Strikes as Collaborative Effort Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This statement followed after Trump had previously accused Nigeria’s government of failing to stop Christians from being killed. Nigeria is constitutionally 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 frame it as sectarian targeting. Nigerian authorities have noted that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Coordination Behind the Airstrikes Nigeria provided the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a local broadcaster. He explained that he had spoken with his American opposite number, then contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and then spoke with the American official again. “We have been working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve long desired, to work with the Americans, to work with other countries, to fight terrorism, to stop the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom said the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in coordination with local officials. 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 pastoralists joined together to fight bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is mostly Muslim. Conflicts between pastoralists and predominantly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in competition for land and water. Priests and pastors have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than sectarian hatred. A Christmas Eve suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and injured dozens more, in a distinct conflict mostly 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 50% of them targeting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the most affected regions. Tuggar emphasized that the mission was about “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not one religion. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Wider American Foreign Posture This action comes amid a wider pattern of American activity overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the initial period of this presidency has seen military actions in several countries and a significant military buildup in another region. No official from the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any fatalities in the recent airstrikes. When questioned if additional actions would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”
The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has indicated additional military actions against IS targets in northwest Nigeria. This follows hours after U.S. military forces took action against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has framed these efforts as part of a mission to stop the killing of Christians. “The president was explicit last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” Hegseth posted on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Thankful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Foreign Minister Frames Strikes as Collaborative Effort Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This statement followed after Trump had previously accused Nigeria’s government of failing to stop Christians from being killed. Nigeria is constitutionally 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 frame it as sectarian targeting. Nigerian authorities have noted that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Coordination Behind the Airstrikes Nigeria provided the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a local broadcaster. He explained that he had spoken with his American opposite number, then contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and then spoke with the American official again. “We have been working closely with the Americans,” Tuggar said. “This is what we’ve long desired, to work with the Americans, to work with other countries, to fight terrorism, to stop the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom said the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in coordination with local officials. 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 pastoralists joined together to fight bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is mostly Muslim. Conflicts between pastoralists and predominantly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in competition for land and water. Priests and pastors have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than sectarian hatred. A Christmas Eve suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and injured dozens more, in a distinct conflict mostly 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 50% of them targeting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the most affected regions. Tuggar emphasized that the mission was about “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not one religion. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Wider American Foreign Posture This action comes amid a wider pattern of American activity overseas during this period. Despite campaigning as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” the initial period of this presidency has seen military actions in several countries and a significant military buildup in another region. No official from the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any fatalities in the recent airstrikes. When questioned if additional actions would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”