EFF says US strikes threaten African sovereignty

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has strongly condemned United States airstrikes carried out in northwest Nigeria, describing the attacks as a violation of African sovereignty and a dangerous escalation of American military intervention on the continent.

In a statement issued on Friday, the EFF reacted to airstrikes conducted a day earlier in Nigeria’s Sokoto State, which the United States said targeted militants linked to the Islamic State group. The strikes were publicly announced by US President Donald Trump, who described them as “powerful and deadly” operations against what he termed “ISIL Islamic State” targets.

Trump said the attacks were aimed at protecting civilians, claiming that Christian communities were being “viciously killed” by extremist groups in northern Nigeria. He framed the strikes as part of Washington’s broader counter-terrorism efforts, positioning the United States as acting decisively where others had failed.

However, the EFF rejected this justification, arguing that the airstrikes represented “a reckless disregard for African sovereignty” and reflected a familiar pattern of American military imperialism. The party said the United States had once again used the language of counter-terrorism and religious protection to legitimise foreign military action on African soil.

“What occurred is clear: the United States launched airstrikes in northwest Nigeria under the guise of counter-terrorism,” the EFF said. “This narrative did not emerge in a vacuum but was built through weeks of distorted reporting that reduced a complex crisis into a simplistic story of religious violence.”

The EFF argued that insecurity in northern Nigeria is driven by a combination of factors, including poverty, weak state institutions, criminal networks, land dispossession and long-standing instability. According to the party, violence in the region has affected Muslims, Christians and traditional communities alike, and framing it purely as religious persecution is misleading and dangerous.

Following the strikes, residents in parts of Sokoto State reported loud explosions, damage to buildings and displacement of communities near the targeted areas. While US officials described the strikes as precise, the full extent of civilian harm and infrastructure damage remains unclear. Local sources indicated that families fled affected villages amid fears of further attacks, with farmland and homes reportedly damaged in the bombardment.

The EFF also criticised the repeated use of the “ISIL-linked” label, saying it has historically been used by Washington to justify military intervention across the Middle East and Africa. The party said such designations often result in airstrikes, civilian casualties and prolonged instability, with little accountability.

Equally concerning, according to the EFF, was the response of the Nigerian government. Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the strikes as part of security cooperation with the United States, a position the EFF described as submissive and reflective of political capitulation rather than sovereignty.

“The Nigerian state has failed to assert its independence and has instead legitimised foreign bombs on its own people,” the party said, warning that such cooperation sets a dangerous precedent for the continent.

The EFF further alleged that US interests in Nigeria are closely tied to oil and economic control rather than peace or security. Drawing comparisons with Venezuela, the party accused Washington of using counter-terrorism and anti-crime narratives to advance resource extraction and geopolitical dominance.

EFF national spokesperson Sinawo Thambo said the airstrikes should be viewed as a warning to Africa.

“This is not about protecting Nigerians. This is about imposing American imperial power wherever it suits US interests,” Thambo said. “The United States has no record of military interventions that benefit African people. What follows is always instability, exploitation and the erosion of sovereignty.”

Thambo also warned that Nigeria could become a gateway for wider US military influence in Africa, while South Africa continues to face pressure from Washington over its foreign policy positions, including its support for Palestine.

“This moment demands continental resistance,” Thambo said. “If Africa does not act collectively through bodies such as ECOWAS and the African Union, we will once again become theatres of proxy wars and foreign domination.”

The EFF said it stood in solidarity with the people of Nigeria, not with foreign military forces or “compliant elites”, and called on African governments and progressive movements to intervene politically and diplomatically to prevent further escalation.

The US airstrikes mark a significant development in Nigeria’s already fragile security landscape, raising renewed questions about foreign military involvement, civilian protection and the long-term consequences of external intervention on the continent.