EFF condemns US airstrikes in Nigeria, warns of growing imperial reach in Africa

The EFF has condemned the US airstrikes carried out in Nigerian, warning that the attacks mark a dangerous escalation of foreign military intervention on the African continent and a direct threat to national sovereignty.

The strikes on December 25, publicly announced and celebrated by US President Donald Trump as “powerful and deadly” operations against what he described as “ISIL Islamic State” targets in northwest Nigeria, reportedly hit areas in Sokoto State.

Washington framed the action as a counter-terrorism measure, but the EFF rejected that justification, describing the operation as imperial overreach carried out “under the guise of counter-terrorism”.

According to the EFF, Trump’s rhetoric surrounding the strikes was “highly inflammatory and religiously charged”, including claims that Christians were being “viciously killed” and portraying the United States as a global saviour.

The party argued that this narrative oversimplifies a complex crisis and dangerously reframes Nigeria’s security challenges as a religious conflict.

“For weeks leading up to these strikes, Western political figures and media outlets have deliberately overhyped and distorted reports of violence in northern Nigeria,” the EFF said.

It added that the violence affects “Christians, Muslims, and traditional communities alike” and was rooted in poverty, state failure, criminal networks, and long-standing instability.

The party warned that branding regions or armed groups as “ISIL-linked” has become a familiar pretext for US military action, citing past interventions that left “destroyed states, mass civilian casualties, and permanent instability”.

“Once a territory is branded ‘ISIL-linked,’ it becomes open season for American missiles, drones, and airstrikes,” the EFF said.The response of the Nigerian government also drew criticism.

The EFF described the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ statement praising “security cooperation” with the United States as an act of capitulation that sets a dangerous precedent and signals that African states can be pressured into legitimising foreign military action.

The party further alleged that US interests in Nigeria are tied to oil, drawing parallels with Washington’s actions in Venezuela.

It warned that Africa faces renewed militarisation driven by “fear, religious division and the language of counter-terrorism”.

“The EFF stands firmly with the people of Nigeria, not with imperial forces and not with compliant elites,” the party said.

“We call on African states, regional bodies such as ECOWAS and the African Union (AU), and progressive movements to recognise this moment as a turning point and intervene in this situation.

“If Africa does not resist now, it will once again become a battlefield for foreign powers seeking relevance through destruction,” the EFF said.

kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za

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