US Signals of More Nigerian Military Actions as Nigeria's Capital Talks of 'Collaborative Continuing Missions'.

The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has signaled further strikes against Islamic State targets in north-western Nigeria. This comes hours after American forces launched strikes against militant camps. The former president Donald Trump has framed these actions as part of a campaign to stop the slaughter of Christians.

“The commander-in-chief was clear previously: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria needs to cease,” Hegseth posted 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 backing and collaboration. Merry Christmas!”

The Nigerian Top Diplomat Frames Strikes as Collaborative Effort

Nigeria’s top diplomat, Yusuf Tuggar, said on Friday that the U.S. strikes were “part of joint continuing operations.” This statement followed after Trump had earlier accused Nigeria’s government of not doing enough to stop 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 frame it as religious persecution. Nigerian authorities have noted that militants attack both Christians and Muslims.

Information and Coordination Preceding the Airstrikes

Nigerian authorities supplied the intelligence for the strikes in Sokoto state, Tuggar informed a television network. He detailed that he had consulted with his U.S. counterpart, before called 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 always been hoping for, to partner with the Americans, to work with other countries, to combat terrorism, to end the killing of blameless Nigerians … It’s a joint effort.”

The U.S. military’s Africa Command said the operations in Sokoto state had been carried out in concert with Nigerian authorities.

Context of Conflict in North-West Nigeria

Wooded areas in Sokoto state, which is adjacent to Niger, have been used as hideouts by gangs of armed bandits and members of Islamic State – Sahel Province. Some observers say this affiliate started when pastoralists joined together to fight bandits due to a lack of state support. The region is predominantly Muslim.

Conflicts between pastoralists and mostly Christian farming communities have been aggravated by ethnicity and religion, but their core causes lie in competition for land and water.

• Priests and religious leaders have increasingly been kidnapped for ransom, though some experts say this may be driven more by criminal incentives 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 separate insurgency largely separate to the violence in the north-west.

Ongoing Violence and Statistics

There have been thousands of incidents of violence in Nigeria this year, with about 50% of them targeting 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 joint operation,” he said. “It is not targeting any religion.”

Wider U.S. Military 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 presidency has seen military actions in several countries and a significant deployment of forces in another region.

No official from the U.S. nor Nigerian authorities have revealed if there were any casualties in the recent airstrikes. When questioned if additional actions would follow, Tuggar replied: “You can call it a new phase of an old conflict. For us it is something that is continuing.”