🔗 Share this article US Issues Warning of More Nigerian Military Actions as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Joint Continuing Operations'. The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has signaled further airstrikes against Islamic State positions in northwest Nigeria. This follows a short time after American forces conducted operations against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these actions as part of a campaign to end the killing of Christians. “The commander-in-chief was explicit previously: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” Hegseth stated on a social platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Grateful for Nigerian government backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!” Nigeria's Top Diplomat Describes Strikes as Joint Operation Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This comment came after the former U.S. leader had earlier accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to stop Christians from being killed. Nigeria is constitutionally 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 sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have pointed out that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims. Information and Collaboration Behind the Missions Nigerian authorities supplied the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He explained that he had spoken with his American opposite number, then contacted the Nigerian president for authorization, and subsequently conferred 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 cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the death of innocent Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.” The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the strikes in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with Nigerian authorities. Background of Conflict in Northwestern Nigeria Forests in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of ISSP. Some observers say this IS branch originated when herders joined together to fight 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 communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in competition for land and water. Priests and pastors have been increasingly taken hostage, though some specialists say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than sectarian hatred. A Christmas Eve attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and injured dozens more, in a separate conflict mostly unrelated to the violence in the north-west. Ongoing Unrest and Data There have been numerous 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 hardest-hit 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 aimed at any religion.” Broader American Military Policy This intervention comes amid a wider pattern of American activity overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period of this term has seen military actions in several countries and a major deployment of forces in another region. Neither the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the recent airstrikes. When questioned if additional actions would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is continuing.”
The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has signaled further airstrikes against Islamic State positions in northwest Nigeria. This follows a short time after American forces conducted operations against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these actions as part of a campaign to end the killing of Christians. “The commander-in-chief was explicit previously: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” Hegseth stated on a social platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Grateful for Nigerian government backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!” Nigeria's Top Diplomat Describes Strikes as Joint Operation Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint ongoing operations.” This comment came after the former U.S. leader had earlier accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to stop Christians from being killed. Nigeria is constitutionally 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 sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have pointed out that armed groups attack both Christians and Muslims. Information and Collaboration Behind the Missions Nigerian authorities supplied the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He explained that he had spoken with his American opposite number, then contacted the Nigerian president for authorization, and subsequently conferred 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 cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the death of innocent Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.” The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the strikes in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with Nigerian authorities. Background of Conflict in Northwestern Nigeria Forests in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of ISSP. Some observers say this IS branch originated when herders joined together to fight 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 communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in competition for land and water. Priests and pastors have been increasingly taken hostage, though some specialists say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than sectarian hatred. A Christmas Eve attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and injured dozens more, in a separate conflict mostly unrelated to the violence in the north-west. Ongoing Unrest and Data There have been numerous 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 hardest-hit 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 aimed at any religion.” Broader American Military Policy This intervention comes amid a wider pattern of American activity overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the initial period of this term has seen military actions in several countries and a major deployment of forces in another region. Neither the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the recent airstrikes. When questioned if additional actions would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an long-standing struggle. For us it is something that is continuing.”