A US special forces soldier teaches how to detain a suspect during a mission for African militaries in Niger in 2014. Reuters
The US military has recommenced its counterterrorism operations in Niger, utilizing drones and other aircraft from airbases after a hiatus caused by a coup that temporarily halted all activities in the region, according to the head of US Air Forces for Europe and Africa.
Following the coup in July, the approximately 1,100 US forces stationed in Niger were restricted to their military bases. Recently, some military personnel and equipment were relocated from the Niamey airbase, located in Niger’s capital, to another base in Agadez, which is about 920 kilometers away.
Negotiations between the US and the junta have allowed some intelligence and surveillance missions to resume in recent weeks, as confirmed by Gen. James Hecker, the top Air Force commander for Europe and Africa. While these operations are not fully back to their previous levels, a significant number of missions have resumed in the past few weeks, including both manned and unmanned flights.
The substantial distance between the two bases poses challenges, as some missions are limited by the fuel required for the journey. Nonetheless, Niger has been a critical regional outpost for the US, conducting extensive patrols using armed drones and other anti-terrorism operations against extremist groups that have seized territory, committed acts of violence against civilians, and engaged foreign armies over the years.
The US has invested significant resources, including years of effort and hundreds of millions of dollars, in training Nigerien forces. In 2018, a deadly attack by ISIS-affiliated fighters in Niger resulted in the deaths of four American service members, four Nigeriens, and an interpreter.
The West African region has experienced a surge in extremist attacks, with over 1,800 such attacks occurring in the first half of the year, resulting in nearly 4,600 casualties, according to the Economic Community of West African States. Various extremist groups, including Boko Haram in Nigeria and Chad, as well as ISIS in the Greater Sahara and the Al Qaeda affiliate Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, pose significant threats along Niger’s borders with Mali and Burkina Faso.
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SOURCE
https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/us-news/2023/09/13/us-military-resumes-drone-and-manned-anti-terrorism-missions-out-of-niger-bases/