US resumes some drone operations in Niger for force protection

Air Base 201 near Agadez has played a critical role in the U.S. military’s efforts to counter violent extremist groups in West Africa, Jocelyn Trainer, an expert on sub-Saharan Africa, told Task & Purpose for a previous story.

“The U.S. military relies on the base to serve as an intelligence and surveillance hub and launch pad for drones at a time when violent extremism is spreading across the Sahel,” said Trainer, with the Center for a New American Security think tank in Washington, D.C. “With a limited U.S. base presence in Africa – restricted to Djibouti and Niger – losing access to Base Aerienne 201 would be a detrimental blow to U.S. and African joint efforts to counter violent extremist groups connected to the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda operating in the area.”

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