By Newspot Nigeria News Desk
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a South African political party known for its pan-Africanist and anti-imperialist ideology, has condemned what it described as U.S. airstrikes carried out on Nigerian territory, warning that the action represents a dangerous escalation of foreign military intervention on the African continent.
In a statement dated December 26, 2025, the EFF said the United States conducted air operations in northwestern Nigeria, particularly in parts of Sokoto State, under the banner of counterterrorism. The group said the strikes were publicly celebrated by U.S. President Donald Trump as operations against so-called Islamic State–linked targets.
Founded in 2013 after splitting from South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC), the EFF is led by Julius Malema and identifies ideologically with Marxism–Leninism, Pan-Africanism, and anti-imperialism. The party holds seats in South Africa’s National Assembly and maintains affiliations with like-minded movements across Africa. Its national spokesperson, Sinawo Tambo, issued the statement on behalf of the organisation.
According to the EFF, framing Nigeria’s security crisis through a religious lens is misleading and dangerous. The group argued that violence in northern Nigeria affects Christians, Muslims, and traditional communities alike, and is driven by a combination of banditry, insurgent networks, economic hardship, weak state institutions, and long-standing governance failures.
The statement accused the United States of promoting a simplified religious narrative in order to justify military intervention. It argued that labeling armed groups as “ISIL-linked” has historically been used to legitimise airstrikes, drone warfare, and foreign military deployments without accountability or long-term stability.
The EFF also criticised Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for what it described as an overly accommodating response to the development. According to the group, official praise for “security cooperation” and the characterization of the strikes as lawful reflects a failure to assert Nigeria’s sovereignty and resist external military pressure.
Drawing parallels with past U.S. interventions in the Middle East and Latin America, the EFF said Washington often advances strategic and economic interests under the language of counterterrorism. The statement referenced oil-related interests and warned that Africa risks becoming a renewed theatre for geopolitical competition if foreign military activity goes unchallenged.
The organisation further called on continental institutions, including the African Union and ECOWAS, to treat the situation as a critical turning point. It urged African governments and progressive movements to resist what it described as the growing militarisation of the continent under external influence.
“The EFF stands with the people of Nigeria, not with imperial forces or compliant elites,” the statement said, adding that continued foreign military involvement could deepen instability and turn African states into battlegrounds for global power rivalry.
— Newspot Nigeria
