🔗 Share this article US Signals of More Nigeria Military Actions as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Joint Continuing Operations'. The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled new strikes against Islamic State strongholds in northwest Nigeria. This follows hours after U.S. military forces took action against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has framed these actions as part of a campaign to stop the killing of Christians. “The president was clear last month: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth posted on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Thankful for Nigerian government backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!” Nigeria's Foreign Minister Describes Actions as Joint Operation Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This comment followed after Trump had previously alleged Nigeria’s government of failing to stop Christians from being killed. Nigeria is constitutionally a secular state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has drawn attention from conservative groups in the United States, who frame it as sectarian targeting. Nigerian authorities have pointed out that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims. Information and Coordination Behind the Missions Nigerian authorities provided the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He explained that he had consulted 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 stated. “This is what we’ve long desired, to partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to combat terrorism, to stop the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom said the strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in concert with Nigerian authorities. Context of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria Forests in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts by criminal groups and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some analysts say this affiliate originated when pastoralists joined together to fight bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim. Clashes between Muslim herders and mostly 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 experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than religious discrimination. A December 24th suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and injured dozens more, in a distinct conflict mostly unrelated to the violence in the north-west. Ongoing Violence and Statistics There have been numerous incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half 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 operation was about “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Wider U.S. Foreign Policy This intervention occurs amid a broader pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this period. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the first year of this term has seen strikes 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 fatalities in the recent airstrikes. When asked if additional actions would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”
The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled new strikes against Islamic State strongholds in northwest Nigeria. This follows hours after U.S. military forces took action against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has framed these actions as part of a campaign to stop the killing of Christians. “The president was clear last month: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth posted on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is constantly prepared, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Thankful for Nigerian government backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!” Nigeria's Foreign Minister Describes Actions as Joint Operation Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the American military actions were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This comment followed after Trump had previously alleged Nigeria’s government of failing to stop Christians from being killed. Nigeria is constitutionally a secular state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has drawn attention from conservative groups in the United States, who frame it as sectarian targeting. Nigerian authorities have pointed out that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims. Information and Coordination Behind the Missions Nigerian authorities provided the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He explained that he had consulted 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 stated. “This is what we’ve long desired, to partner with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to combat terrorism, to stop the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom said the strikes in Sokoto state had been executed in concert with Nigerian authorities. Context of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria Forests in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts by criminal groups and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some analysts say this affiliate originated when pastoralists joined together to fight bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim. Clashes between Muslim herders and mostly 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 experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than religious discrimination. A December 24th suicide bombing at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and injured dozens more, in a distinct conflict mostly unrelated to the violence in the north-west. Ongoing Violence and Statistics There have been numerous incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half 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 operation was about “safeguarding Nigerians and civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Wider U.S. Foreign Policy This intervention occurs amid a broader pattern of U.S. military engagement overseas during this period. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to extricate the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the first year of this term has seen strikes 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 fatalities in the recent airstrikes. When asked if additional actions would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”