US African Command (AFRICOM) announced on Friday that the controversial Nigerien Air Base 201, meant to house US surveillance and combat drones, is now open and operational, and flights began earlier this week.
After an ambush by ISIS against a joint US-Nigerien military patrol, the
US began pushing Niger for permission to fly not just surveillance
drones, but also armed drones. In the panic after the attack, they got
permission, starting the long road to constructing this large base.
And while AFRICOM is championing this as expanding US interests in the
region, they are refusing to provide any indication what sort of US
drones will be based out of the site, saying there are “security
concerns” about that.
A large and expensive project, this is expected to mean a substantial
increase in US drone activity across western Africa, and commit the US
to a long-term presence in Niger.
US Drone Base in Niger Now Operational, Armed Flights Being Carried Out
AFRICOM says flights started this week, refuses to say which sort of drones
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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