Nigerien national guardsmen sit outside the customs offices in Niamey, Niger, Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. (Sam Mednick/AP)
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The U.S. military has resumed its counterterrorism missions in Niger, including the operation of drones and other aircraft from air bases in the country, more than a month after a coup temporarily suspended these activities. Gen. James Hecker, the top Air Force commander for Europe and Africa, shared this information on Wednesday.
Following the coup in July, the approximately 1,100 U.S. forces stationed in Niger were confined to their military bases. The Pentagon announced last week that some military personnel and assets had been relocated from the air base near Niamey, Niger’s capital, to another base in Agadez, which is approximately 920 kilometers away.
In recent weeks, negotiations between the United States and the junta have allowed for the resumption of certain intelligence and surveillance missions, as stated by Gen. Hecker at the annual Air and Space Forces Association convention in National Harbor, Maryland. He clarified that while the U.S. is not conducting 100% of the previous missions, a significant number have resumed.
Gen. Hecker mentioned that both manned and unmanned missions have recommenced within the past couple of weeks. However, due to the considerable distance between the two bases, some missions are limited in terms of data collection because of the extended travel time and fuel consumption involved in reaching the operational area.
Niger plays a critical role as the main regional outpost for the United States in conducting armed drone patrols and other counterterrorism operations against Islamic extremist groups in West Africa. These extremist movements have seized territory, perpetrated civilian massacres, and engaged in conflicts with foreign armies over the years. The U.S. bases in Niger are essential for its broader counterterrorism efforts in the region.
Furthermore, the United States has invested significant resources, including years of training and hundreds of millions of dollars, in strengthening the capabilities of the Nigerian forces.
In 2018, fighters aligned with the Islamic State group ambushed and killed four American service members, four Nigeriens, and an interpreter.
West Africa has witnessed over 1,800 extremist attacks in the first half of this year, resulting in nearly 4,600 fatalities, according to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The threat landscape includes Boko Haram in neighboring Nigeria and Chad, as well as the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara and the al-Qaida affiliate Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin along Niger’s borders with Mali and Burkina Faso.
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SOURCE
https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-air-force/2023/09/13/us-military-resumes-counterterrorism-missions-out-of-niger-bases/