🔗 Share this article US Warns of More Nigerian Military Actions as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Collaborative Continuing Operations'. The American Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has warned of additional military actions against ISIS strongholds in northwest Nigeria. This follows hours after American forces conducted operations against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these actions as part of a campaign to end the slaughter of Christians. “The commander-in-chief was clear last month: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” the defense secretary wrote on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Grateful for Nigerian government backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Top Diplomat Frames Actions as Collaborative Effort Nigeria’s foreign minister, 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 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 religious persecution. The government in Abuja have noted that militants attack both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Coordination Preceding the Airstrikes Nigerian authorities provided the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He explained that he had spoken with his American opposite number, before called the Nigerian president for approval, 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 fight terrorism, to end the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom said the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in coordination with local officials. Context of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some observers say this affiliate originated when herders banded together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is mostly Muslim. Conflicts between pastoralists and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in competition for land and water. Priests and pastors have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, though some specialists say this may be driven more by financial motives than sectarian hatred. A December 24th attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and injured dozens more, in a distinct insurgency largely unrelated to the violence in the north-west. Continuing Unrest and Statistics There have been numerous incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them targeting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the hardest-hit regions. Tuggar stressed that the operation was about “protecting Nigerians and innocent lives,” not one religion. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Wider U.S. Military Posture This action occurs amid a broader pattern of American activity overseas during this period. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” 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. or 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 new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”
The American Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has warned of additional military actions against ISIS strongholds in northwest Nigeria. This follows hours after American forces conducted operations against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these actions as part of a campaign to end the slaughter of Christians. “The commander-in-chief was clear last month: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” the defense secretary wrote on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Grateful for Nigerian government backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Top Diplomat Frames Actions as Collaborative Effort Nigeria’s foreign minister, 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 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 religious persecution. The government in Abuja have noted that militants attack both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Coordination Preceding the Airstrikes Nigerian authorities provided the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He explained that he had spoken with his American opposite number, before called the Nigerian president for approval, 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 fight terrorism, to end the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a collaborative effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom said the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in coordination with local officials. Context of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some observers say this affiliate originated when herders banded together to combat bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is mostly Muslim. Conflicts between pastoralists and predominantly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in competition for land and water. Priests and pastors have been increasingly kidnapped for ransom, though some specialists say this may be driven more by financial motives than sectarian hatred. A December 24th attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria took the lives of at least five people and injured dozens more, in a distinct insurgency largely unrelated to the violence in the north-west. Continuing Unrest and Statistics There have been numerous incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them targeting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the hardest-hit regions. Tuggar stressed that the operation was about “protecting Nigerians and innocent lives,” not one religion. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Wider U.S. Military Posture This action occurs amid a broader pattern of American activity overseas during this period. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” 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. or 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 new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”