Counterterrorism operations in Africa may soon receive a much-needed boost, but the fight against militants operating in the region is far from over. According to a Nov. 1 Reuters report, Niger has given the U.S. military the authority to arm its drones, which would aid U.S. efforts in assisting the Nigerien military to oust militants from the region. (Until now, the U.S. military could use its drones only for surveillance purposes.) Though the United States has previously asked Niger for the authorization, it increased pressure on the matter after militants operating along the Niger-Mali border ambushed U.S. and Nigerien troops Oct. 4.
Even with armed drones, it may take some time before counterterrorism operations in the region reach their full potential. A report by U.S. publication Stars and Stripes said that the completion of the $100-million drone base in Agadez, Niger, will be delayed by a year, until mid-to-late 2018. Reportedly, the delay was caused by the difficult terrain and logistical obstacles inherent to building a base in a remote corner of sub-Saharan Africa. The base, as difficult as it will be to construct, would place U.S. drones 1,130 kilometers (702 miles) closer to Libya — a hub of militancy — than is the current base in Niger's capital, Niamey.
Elsewhere in Africa, the Group of Five (G5) Sahel force, reportedly launched its first operation, dubbed Hawbi, between Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. Heavily supported by the French military, the Sahel force is a transnational counterterrorism force composed of troops from five different African countries — Chad, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Though details of the operation are scant, the Sahel force likely conducted its operation around the tri-border region between Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. Though the operation is just an initial step, it underscores France's willingness to provide resources and manpower to make the force, which has struggled to find funding and broader international support, functional. Despite France's best efforts, it may take some considerable time before the Sahel force's counterterrorism capabilities are honed enough to combat militancy in the region.
