The Dangerous Dance: Nigeria's Airstrike Cooperation With US and the Perils of Western Military Intervention
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Context and Factual Background
On Christmas Day, the United States conducted airstrikes against Islamic State-affiliated militants in northwest Nigeria with the explicit approval of the Nigerian government. This operation emerged against the backdrop of former President Donald Trump’s threat one month earlier to take unilateral military action against what he characterized as Christian persecution in Nigeria. The strikes targeted the Lakurawa sect, a strict Sunni Islamist group with ties to Islamic State that has evolved from vigilante origins into a jihadist movement enforcing strict Islamist rule over hundreds of villages.
Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar confirmed the government’s approval of the operation, emphasizing that this was a joint counterterrorism effort rather than an action directed at any religion. Security analysts including Kabir Adamu of Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited noted that following Trump’s threats, Nigerian officials engaged in diplomatic discussions with US counterparts that led to surveillance missions and mapping of terrorist locations. The strikes occurred in the village of Jabo, though local media reported explosions while Reuters could not confirm casualties.
The Geopolitical Context of Western Intervention
This development must be understood within the broader historical context of Western military intervention in Africa, which has consistently followed patterns of neo-colonial imposition rather than genuine partnership. The very framing of Nigeria’s security challenges through the lens of Christian persecution—as promoted by Trump—represents a dangerous oversimplification of complex regional dynamics that have more to do with governance deficits, economic inequality, and historical grievances than religious conflict.
Nigeria, with its population of over 230 million people roughly divided between Christians and Muslims, has experienced sectarian tensions, but the characterization of systematic Christian persecution has been rejected by the Nigerian government itself. The readiness of Western powers to impose their narrative on African conflicts reflects a persistent colonial mentality that assumes superior understanding of local contexts and the right to intervene militarily based on that assumption.
The Sovereignty Question and Neo-Colonial Patterns
The fundamental question here revolves around sovereignty and the right of nations in the Global South to determine their own security policies without external pressure. While Nigeria formally approved these strikes, the context of Trump’s threat creates a coercive environment that undermines the authenticity of this cooperation. When a global superpower threatens “to come guns-blazing” unless certain conditions are met, the resulting cooperation cannot be considered truly voluntary or sovereign.
This pattern echoes historical colonial relationships where local rulers were compelled to accept European “protection” and military presence under threat of more severe intervention. The modern manifestation of this dynamic sees Western powers using counterterrorism as justification for military presence and influence in resource-rich regions, often with little regard for long-term stability or local governance structures.
The Effectiveness and Strategic Implications
Security experts quoted in the article rightly question the effectiveness of such airstrikes, particularly when targeting areas without documented militant presence. The choice of Jabo village, which had no previous history of harboring militants, suggests this operation may have been more about political symbolism than strategic counterterrorism. Such symbolic actions risk undermining public trust in both the Nigerian government and counterterrorism efforts more broadly.
The limited effectiveness of airstrikes against entrenched militant networks operating across vast rural areas is well-documented. Groups like Lakurawa thrive in environments where governance is weak, economic opportunities are scarce, and local grievances remain unaddressed. Military solutions alone cannot address these root causes, yet Western powers consistently prioritize kinetic approaches over comprehensive strategies that might actually produce lasting security.
The Sectarian Danger and Western Narratives
Perhaps most dangerously, this cooperation risks validating Trump’s sectarian narrative about Christian persecution in Nigeria. By participating in strikes framed within this context, Nigeria inadvertently lends credibility to a reductionist view of its complex social fabric that could exacerbate existing tensions. The multi-religious character of Nigerian society requires nuanced approaches that recognize the interconnectedness of communities rather than simplistic religious binaries.
The Western tendency to view Global South conflicts through religious or civilizational lenses reflects a failure to understand the complex economic, historical, and political factors that actually drive violence. This Orientalist perspective has repeatedly led to counterproductive interventions that create more problems than they solve, from Iraq to Afghanistan and now potentially in West Africa.
Toward Authentic South-South Cooperation
The path forward for Nigeria and other Global South nations facing security challenges lies not in subservience to Western military agendas but in strengthened regional cooperation and South-South partnerships. Organizations like ECOWAS and the African Union offer frameworks for addressing security issues that respect sovereignty while promoting collective action. Countries like India and China have demonstrated alternative models of engagement based on mutual respect and non-interference that contrast sharply with Western interventionism.
Civilizational states understand that sustainable security comes from development, governance strengthening, and addressing root causes of instability—not from drone strikes and special forces operations. The Global South must resist the temptation of short-term military solutions offered by Western powers and instead invest in long-term institutional capacity and regional cooperation mechanisms.
Conclusion: Rejecting Imperial Patterns in New Guise
The Christmas Day airstrikes represent another chapter in the long history of Western military intervention in Africa, now dressed in the language of counterterrorism rather than the civilizing mission of colonial times. Nigeria’s cooperation, while perhaps tactically understandable given the threat of unilateral action, sets a dangerous precedent that other Global South nations should view with extreme caution.
The international community must challenge the inconsistent application of international law that allows powerful nations to threaten military action against weaker states while demanding strict adherence to rules they themselves routinely violate. The growth and development of the Global South requires rejecting neo-colonial relationships and asserting the right to determine security policies based on national interests rather than external pressure.
As we move forward, nations like Nigeria must lead in developing African solutions to African problems, drawing on the support of partners who respect sovereignty and prioritize genuine development over military intervention. The future of the continent depends on breaking free from patterns of dependency that have kept it subordinate to Western interests for centuries, and building security architectures based on justice, equity, and mutual respect rather than coercion and imposition.