🔗 Share this article US Warns of Additional Nigerian Military Actions as Abuja Speaks of 'Joint Continuing Operations'. The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled additional military actions against Islamic State positions in northwest Nigeria. This follows hours after American forces conducted operations against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these efforts as part of a mission to stop the slaughter of Christians. “The president was explicit last month: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” Hegseth wrote on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Thankful for Nigerian government backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Top Diplomat Describes Strikes as Joint Effort Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint continuing operations.” This comment came after Trump had previously accused Nigeria’s government of failing to prevent Christians from being killed. Nigeria is officially a secular state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has drawn attention from religious groups in the United States, who frame it as sectarian targeting. Nigerian authorities have pointed out that militants target both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Collaboration Preceding the Missions Nigeria supplied the intelligence for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He detailed that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, before contacted the Nigerian president for authorization, and subsequently spoke 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 work with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom said the strikes in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with local officials. Background of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as bases by criminal groups and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some analysts say this affiliate started when herders banded together to fight bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim. Clashes between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in disputes for resources. Priests and pastors have increasingly been 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 distinct insurgency largely separate 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 research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the most affected regions. Tuggar emphasized that the operation was about “protecting Nigerians and civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Wider American Foreign Policy This intervention comes amid a wider pattern of American activity overseas during this administration. Despite campaigning as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” 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 revealed if there were any fatalities in the recent airstrikes. When questioned if more would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”
The American defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled additional military actions against Islamic State positions in northwest Nigeria. This follows hours after American forces conducted operations against insurgent bases. The ex-president Donald Trump has characterized these efforts as part of a mission to stop the slaughter of Christians. “The president was explicit last month: the murder of innocent Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” Hegseth wrote on a social media platform. “The Pentagon is constantly prepared, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. Additional actions will follow … Thankful for Nigerian government backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!” The Nigerian Top Diplomat Describes Strikes as Joint Effort Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint continuing operations.” This comment came after Trump had previously accused Nigeria’s government of failing to prevent Christians from being killed. Nigeria is officially a secular state with a population nearly divided between Muslims and Christians. Attacks against Christians has drawn attention from religious groups in the United States, who frame it as sectarian targeting. Nigerian authorities have pointed out that militants target both Christians and Muslims. Intelligence and Collaboration Preceding the Missions Nigeria supplied the intelligence for the airstrikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He detailed that he had spoken with his U.S. counterpart, before contacted the Nigerian president for authorization, and subsequently spoke 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 work with other countries, to fight terrorism, to end the killing of innocent Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.” The U.S. military’s Africom said the strikes in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with local officials. Background of Violence in Northwestern Nigeria Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as bases by criminal groups and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some analysts say this affiliate started when herders banded together to fight bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim. Clashes between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their roots lie in disputes for resources. Priests and pastors have increasingly been 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 distinct insurgency largely separate 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 research data. States like Katsina and Sokoto have been among the most affected regions. Tuggar emphasized that the operation was about “protecting Nigerians and civilians,” not a single faith. “It is a collaborative mission,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.” Wider American Foreign Policy This intervention comes amid a wider pattern of American activity overseas during this administration. Despite campaigning as a “candidate of peace” who promised to withdraw the U.S. from “endless wars,” 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 revealed if there were any fatalities in the recent airstrikes. When questioned if more would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”