U.S. military arms Niger drones to fight terrorist-linked groups

DAKAR, Senegal — The United States started arming drones in the West African nation of Niger early this year, according to the U.S. Africa Command.

“In coordination with the Government of Niger, U.S. Africa Command has armed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft already in Niger to improve our combined ability to respond to threats and other security issues in the region. Armed ISR aircraft began flying in early 2018,” Samantha Reho, spokeswoman for U.S. Africa Command, told The Associated Press.

The armed drones are deployed to Niger’s Air Base 101 in Niamey. The effort was supported by Niger and is part of the long-term strategic partnership between the U.S. and Niger to help counter violent extremists in the region, she said.

Reho said that as a matter of operational security, she could not discuss whether strikes have already been carried out by the armed drones.

MQ-9 drones currently flying out of Niger’s capital will eventually be moved to Nigerien Air Base 201, which is being built in Agadez, on the scorching edge of the Sahara Desert. The new base is part of efforts by the U.S. to battle the growing extremist threat in Africa’s vast Sahel.

Adding striking capabilities to the drones is a major step in the fight against extremist threats that include al-qaida-linked fighters in Mali and Burkina Faso, Islamic State group-affiliated fighters in Niger, Mali and Nigeria and the Nigeria-based Boko Haram.