US Issues Warning of More Nigerian Military Actions as Abuja Talks of 'Collaborative Ongoing Missions'.

The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled further strikes against IS targets in north-western Nigeria. This follows hours after U.S. military forces took action against militant camps. The ex-president Donald Trump has framed these actions as part of a mission to halt the killing of Christians.

“The commander-in-chief was clear previously: the killing of defenseless Christians in Nigeria has to stop,” Hegseth stated on a social platform. “The Department of Defense is always ready, so ISIS discovered tonight – on Christmas. There is more ahead … Thankful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”

The Nigerian Foreign Minister Describes Strikes as Collaborative Effort

Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, stated on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint continuing operations.” This comment followed after Trump had earlier accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to prevent Christians from being killed.

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

Information and Coordination Preceding the Missions

Nigeria provided the intelligence for the airstrikes 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 work with the Americans, to cooperate with other countries, to fight terrorism, to stop the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”

The U.S. military’s Africom confirmed the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in coordination with local officials.

Context of Conflict in North-West Nigeria

Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as bases by criminal groups and members of ISSP. Some observers say this affiliate started when herders banded together to fight bandits due to a absence of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.

Conflicts between Muslim herders and mostly Christian farming communities have been exacerbated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in disputes for resources.

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

Continuing Unrest and Data

There have been thousands of events 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 mission 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 U.S. Military Policy

This action comes amid a broader 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 first year of this presidency has seen military actions in several countries and a significant military buildup in another region.

Neither the U.S. or Nigerian authorities have disclosed if there were any casualties in the latest airstrikes. When questioned if more would follow, Tuggar responded: “You can call it a fresh chapter of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”