Niger has given
permission for U.S. surveillance drones to be stationed on its territory to
improve intelligence on al Qaeda-linked Islamist fighters in northern Mali and
the wider Sahara, a senior government source said.
The U.S. Ambassador to Niger, Bisa Williams, made
the request at a meeting on Monday with President Mahamadou Issoufou, who
immediately accepted it, the source said.
“Niger has given the green light to accepting American
surveillance drones on its soil to improve the collection of intelligence on
Islamist movements,” said the source, who asked not to be identified. The
drones could be stationed in Niger’s northern desert region of Agadez, which
borders Mali, Algeria and Libya, the source said.
A spokesperson for the United States’ African
Command (AFRICOM) declined to comment. The United States already has drones and
surveillance aircraft stationed at several points around Africa. Its only
permanent military base is in the small country of Djibouti in the Horn of
Africa, more than 3,000 miles from Mali.
After her talks with Issoufou, Williams told
reporters they had discussed economic and military cooperation and development
issues. She also expressed Washington’s appreciation for the French-led
military mission to expel an alliance of Al Qaeda-linked fighters from northern
Mali.
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