American Issues Warning of Additional Nigeria Strikes as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Collaborative Ongoing Operations'.

The U.S. Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, has signaled new military actions against Islamic State targets in north-western Nigeria. This follows a short time after American forces took action against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has framed these efforts as part of a mission to end the killing of Christians.

“The president was explicit previously: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth posted on a social platform. “The Pentagon is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Thankful for Abuja's support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”

Nigeria's Foreign Minister Describes Actions as Collaborative Effort

Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, remarked on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint continuing operations.” This comment came after the former U.S. leader had earlier accused Nigeria’s government of failing to prevent Christians from being killed.

Nigeria is constitutionally a non-religious state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has drawn attention from religious groups in the United States, who describe it as sectarian targeting. The government in Abuja have pointed out that militants attack both Christians and Muslims.

Intelligence and Coordination Preceding the Missions

Nigerian authorities provided the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a local broadcaster. He explained that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, before called the Nigerian president for approval, 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 partner with the Americans, to work with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the death 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.

Context of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria

Forests in Sokoto state, which borders Niger, have been used as bases by criminal groups and members of ISSP. Some observers say this IS branch originated when pastoralists joined together to fight bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is mostly Muslim.

Conflicts between Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by communal and sectarian factors, but their core causes lie in disputes for resources.

• Clergy and religious leaders have increasingly been kidnapped for ransom, though some specialists say this may be driven more by criminal incentives than religious discrimination.
• A December 24th 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 Unrest and Data

There have been numerous incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about half of them affecting civilians, according to research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the hardest-hit regions.

Tuggar stressed that the mission 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 action occurs amid a wider pattern of U.S. military activity overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “champion of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “foreign quagmires,” the first year of this term has seen military actions in several countries and a major deployment of forces in another region.

Neither the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any fatalities in the latest airstrikes. When asked if additional actions would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”