U.s. Sends Drones To Nigeria Alongside Troops For Intelligence And Training

DAKAR, Senegal — The United States deployed drones to Nigeria to supply training and intelligence, a U.S. defense charismatic said Monday, arsenic nan West African country’s subject fights a multifaceted information crisis.

The MQ-9 drones, besides known arsenic Reapers, were deployed alongside 200 U.S. troops who arrived successful Nigeria past month. The drones, which tin alert astatine altitudes complete 40,000 feet and tin loiter for much than 30 hours, person been flown by some nan U.S. subject and nan CIA complete nan Middle East for years, successful Afghanistan, Iraq and now complete Yemen during nan American bombing run there.

Nigeria, Africa’s astir populous country, is battling a analyzable information crisis, particularly successful nan northbound of nan country. Among nan astir salient Islamic militant groups progressive successful Nigeria are Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, which is affiliated pinch nan Islamic State group and is known arsenic Islamic State West Africa Province, aliases ISWAP. There is besides nan IS-linked Lakurawa, arsenic good arsenic different “bandit” groups that specialize successful kidnapping for ransom and forbidden mining.

A spokesperson for AFRICOM, nan U.S. Africa Command, told AP nan U.S. troops “are moving alongside their Nigerian counterparts to supply intelligence support, advisory assistance, and targeted training successful support of nan Nigerian Armed Forces.”

The troops and nan MQ-9 drones are based astatine Bauchi Airfield, a recently built airdrome successful nan northeast of nan country, nan spokesperson said. The number of drones deployed remains unclear.

MQ-9 drones costs astir $30 cardinal apiece, tin alert astatine altitudes complete 40,000 feet and person abstracted models for onshore and sea. They tin besides beryllium utilized to transportation retired airstrikes but AFRICOM says they will only beryllium utilized successful Nigeria for intelligence-gathering and training.

The deployment is portion of a caller information business agreed aft President Donald Trump alleged that Christians are being targeted successful Nigeria’s information crisis. The U.S. launched strikes against IS forces connected Dec. 26.

The U.S. had antecedently operated a awesome drone guidelines successful neighboring Niger, but it was unopen down aft nan ruling subject junta expelled U.S. troops from nan country.

Earlier this month, 3 suspected termination bombings killed astatine slightest 23 group and wounded 108 others successful Maiduguri, nan superior of Borno state. No group claimed responsibility, but suspicion quickly fell connected Boko Haram, which successful 2009 launched an insurgency successful northeastern Nigeria to enforce its extremist mentation of Sharia, aliases Islamic law.

The situation has worsened precocious to see different militants from nan neighboring Sahel region, including nan Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, which claimed its first onslaught connected Nigerian ungraded past year.

More than 40,000 group successful Nigeria person been killed since Boko Haram’s insurgency began, according to information from nan United Nations. Analysts opportunity nan authorities is not doing capable to protect its citizens.

Pronczuk writes for nan Associated Press.