US Issues Warning of Additional Nigeria Military Actions as Abuja Speaks of 'Joint Continuing Operations'.

The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled new military actions against IS strongholds in north-western Nigeria. This comes hours after American forces took action against insurgent bases. The former president Donald Trump has described these efforts as part of a mission to halt the killing of Christians.

“The commander-in-chief was explicit previously: the murder of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth posted on a social media platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. More to come … Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”

Nigeria's Foreign Minister Describes Strikes as Joint Effort

Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of collaborative ongoing operations.” This comment followed after the former U.S. leader had earlier alleged Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to prevent Christians from being killed.

Nigeria is constitutionally a secular state with a population almost evenly split between Muslims and Christians. Violence against Christians has drawn attention from conservative groups in the United States, who frame it as religious persecution. The government in Abuja have pointed out that armed groups target both Christians and Muslims.

Information and Collaboration Preceding the Missions

Nigerian authorities supplied the information for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar told a television network. He detailed that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, then contacted the Nigerian president for approval, and then spoke with the American official again.

“We have been collaborating extensively with the Americans,” Tuggar stated. “This is what we’ve long desired, to work with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to stop the death 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 North-West Nigeria

Forests in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as bases by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some analysts say this IS branch originated when pastoralists banded together to combat bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.

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

• Clergy and pastors have been increasingly taken hostage, though some experts say this may be driven more by financial motives than religious discrimination.
• A December 24th attack at a mosque in north-east Nigeria killed at least five people and wounded dozens more, in a distinct conflict largely separate to the violence in the north-west.

Ongoing Unrest and Data

There have been thousands of incidents 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 stressed that the operation was about “protecting Nigerians and innocent lives,” not one religion. “It is a joint operation,” he said. “It is not aimed at any religion.”

Wider American Military Posture

This action comes amid a wider pattern of American activity overseas during this administration. Despite running as a “candidate 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 significant deployment of forces in another region.

No official from the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any fatalities in the latest airstrikes. When asked if more would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”