The United States of America is planning to establish a drone base in Niger, a country sandwiched between Nigeria and Mali, two nations that have been under attack from Islamic militants.
The drone base, according to a report in last Sunday's edition of the New York Times, will give the US military command increased unmanned surveillance missions on the activities of Boko Haram and other extremist groups in West Africa that are affiliated to Al Qaeda and other sectarian groups.
With the establishment of the drone base, the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), which has proved successful in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the goal is to limit risks involved with the use of humans and as well improve intelligence gathering around the desert belt connecting North and West African.
The report of the planned establishment of the drone base in Niger came on the heels of international efforts to rout out Islamic insurgents from Mali.
Nigeria, which is part of the international military coalition in Mali, has so far expended $32 million on its military expedition in the Sahelian nation, just as it has so far deployed 776 troops in the war-torn country.
More troops, to make up the 1,200 contingent Nigeria is contributing to the peace efforts, are expected to leave for Mali next week, THISDAY has learnt.
In order to sustain the peace efforts in Mali, a donors' conference was held yesterday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to raise funds for the military expedition during which global donors pledged the donation of $455.53 million.
When THISDAY made enquiries Tuesday from the Minister of State for Defence, Mrs. Olusola Obada, how the plan by the US to establish the drone base in Niger would affect Nigeria's security, especially the fight against Boko Haram terror, she said on the phone that government was reviewing the situation.
"I will make consultations and get across to you," she added.
When contacted some hours later, she directed all enquiries to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Admiral Ola Sa'ad Ibrahim and Defence Headquarters for more information on the issue.
According to some military sources, who spoke with THISDAY on the issue, the plan has "been in the pipeline by the US African Command (USAFRICOM), especially to monitor the activities of Boko Haram and their growing links with international terrorist organisations like the Al Qaeda in the Maghreb (AQIM).
"However, it is like they are taking the decision seriously owing to the ongoing development in Mali, with Niger already providing a base for both Nigeria and other foreign troops."
Another military source, who disclosed that the US already has a base in Niger, added that the drone base is also expected to provide intelligence and assist the French mission and war efforts in Northern Mali.
"It is part of the war efforts in Mali, which provides for both short and long-term measures as you are aware that the US already had some existing secret base in Niger," the source said.
When he visited Nigeria last month, the Commander, USAFRICOM, Gen Carter Ham, had at the Nigerian Defence College (NDC) expressed concern over the increasing connectivity and collaboration between the network of Al-Qaeda affiliates and adherents in Africa, including the Boko Haram sect.
Ham while speaking on areas of common interests and challenges between Nigeria and US, explained that since the Al-Qaeda core has been significantly weakened, the group has simply mutated into various affiliate organisations, especially in the Middle East and Africa that are increasingly coordinating resources and intelligence to carry out their terrorist acts.
He had explained that the Al-Qaeda networks and affiliates, including Boko Haram, were changing in ways that increase threats to individual African states and regional stability, as well as to the US and international security interests.
THISDAY was also informed that Niger is strategic for the US, Nigeria and Africa's fight against terrorism as it is a gateway between the North, West, East and Central Africa, with Nigeria's porous northern border being of great concern.
In Addis Ababa Tuesday, President Goodluck Jonathan at a fundraiser for the military expedition in Mali, restated Nigeria's commitment to the success of the exercise, stressing that this had informed the Federal Government's commitment of human and material resources in the bid to recapture the country from the Islamic militants.
Jonathan, speaking at the end of the 20th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, said Nigeria has so far expended $32 million on its military expedition in Mali.
The money, he added, was spent on troops' deployment and logistics support for the contingent.
At the fundraiser, global donors pledged the donation of $455.53 million, exceeding by far the previous target of $50 million set by the AU.
Jonathan explained that besides the $32 million that Nigeria had spent on troops deployment and logistics, the Federal Government would spend an additional $5 million to assist the war-torn country.
He added that the extra $5 million was in response to demands for more donations.
Expressing Nigeria's commitment to the international effort to restore normalcy in Mali, the president also stated that his administration had
re-constructed and refurbished some health facilities in Malian defence barracks, a project which he said cost Nigeria $5.5 million under the Security Sector Reform (SSR) intervention.
He said Nigeria as part of the international initiative being undertaken by the AU, ECOWAS, the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN), aimed at mobilising adequate financial resources in support of the Malian Defence and Security Forces (MDSF) as well as AFISMA, would not shirk its responsibility towards the global efforts to rout out the Islamic insurgents from Mali.
He said: "The collaboration between these four organisations on this initiative is a clear demonstration of international solidarity, sympathy and cooperation required for a definitive resolution of the Malian crisis which has serious international consequences.
"Specifically, Nigeria has commenced the deployment of 900 combat soldiers and 300 air force personnel to Mali as part of AFISMA. Nigeria has so far provided about $32 million for the immediate deployment and logistic support for the troops.
"Prior to this, Nigeria dispatched relief and humanitarian relief and supplies amounting to US$2 million and Nigeria has undertaken the re-construction and refurbishment of a number of clinics in the military barracks of some of the Malian Defence and Security Forces, as part of the Security Sector Reform (SSR) intervention to the tune of US$5.5 million."
Recalling his efforts as a co-mediator in the crisis since October 2012, he said that the antidote to the crisis is the implementation of the ECOWAS road map for the resolution of the crisis.
"For this reason, the pledge (of $5million) I make today (yesterday) is a further expression of our commitment to a worthy international effort," he said.
He urged the conference to use the funds so raised not only for defence and security matters, but also for the provision of necessary humanitarian support.
The president pointed out that the situation in Mali called for cooperation, sacrifice and action on the part of strategic partners, the countries of the sub-region, Africa and indeed the entire international community.
Chairman of the AU and Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Desalegn, said in his remarks that the funds pledged at the conference could assist to mobilise the necessary resources to maintain the gains of the military expedition and re-energise the political process in Mali.
So far, Nigeria has deployed 776 troops in Mali and more members of the contingent that will make up the 1,200 troops Nigeria has pledged are expected to leave for Mali next week.
The first batch of the Nigerian contingent, comprising members of the Nigerian Air Force and Army, left Nigeria on January 17 via Port Harcourt and Kaduna under the aegis of the Africa-led International Mission in Mali (AFISMA) spearheaded by ECOWAS.
However, THISDAY learnt that Nigerian troops have not been embedded with the French troops that were already in the country fighting with Malian soldiers to chase away the insurgents.
A defence ministry source further revealed that not all members of ECOWAS had deployed their troops in Mali.
Comments Post a comment
WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANY FIGHT FROM THE MILITANTS IN MALI??? NOW SHOULD ECOWAS HAD DONE THIS MONTHS AGO THEY WOULD HAVE FEARED EVEN BETTER. WHAT TRULY AILS ME IS THE US PRESSENCE IN AFRICA, BASES EVERYWHERE??. WHY DOES WEST AFRICANS FEEL THE NEED TO BE COLONISED ALL OVER AGAIN??? WHY IS THERE NO TRUST IN THE EMPOWERMENT OF THE AFRICAN CONTINENT BY AFRICANS FOR AFRICANS. WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS THE FCOLONIALIST HOLDING ON TO OUR NATURAL RESOURCES TAKING OVER MILITARY APARATUS WHICH PROMTED THE REBELS TO DISSAPEAR. NO ONE IS A FOOL IN AFRICA AND WE ARE SEEING THAT THE FRENCH IS HERE TO RECONDITION THE MINDS OF AFRICANS DIVIDING AND KEEPING US DIVIDED BECAUSE AFRICANS LACK KNOWLEDGE THEY DO NOT KLNOW WHO THEY ARE""? I STILL HERE PEOPLE REFERING TO ARAB SPEAKING PEOPLE AS ARABS AS IF THE ORIGINAL ARABS WERE NOT BLACK . ARABIC WAS CHOSEN BY THE PROPHET MUHAMAD WHOW AS BLACK NOT A DARK SKINNED MAN HIS FATHER WAS KNOWN AS THE TALL BLACK ONE. LET US BE CLEAR AFRICAN FROM ALL REGIONS NEED TO KLNWO THIER HISTORY!!!!." NORHT AFRICA WAS SETTLED PRIMARILY BY EUROPEANS DURING THE PERIODS OF CONQUEST AND ALSO WHEN THE SPANISH EXPELLED THE BLACK AND BROWN SKINNED ARABS FROM EUROPE ALONG WITH THIER WHITE CONVERTS" THE NUBER OF WHITE CONVERTS TO ISLAM NUMBERED IN THE MILLIONS.. THERE WAS ALSO A MIGRATION FROM EASTERN EUROPE TO THE ARABIAN DESERT DURING THE ISLAMISATION OF THE BALKANS. A VERY IMPORTANT LESSON FOR AFRICANSTO LEARN IS THIS WE NED TO STOP PLAYING THE COLOURT CARD TH SOMETHING DEVISED BY WESTERN EUROPE WHICH WAS USED TO DECIMATE THE AFRICAN CONTINENT ENSLAVE ITS PEOPLE THEN COLONISE IT!!!.. WHAT WE ARE SEEING TODAY IS THE RINTRODUCTION OF COLONISATION THROUGH THIS TALK OF TERRROIST WHICH THE WEST IS SUING TO MOVE SPY PLANES ALL OVER AFRICA VIRTUALLY CONTROLLING THROGH THIER EYE IN THE SKY . SHOUDL WE DECIDE TO FIGHT FOR OUR FREE INDEPENDNCE AND THE NEED OF OUR RESOURCES WE WOULD BE DEFAETED STARIGHTA WAY. WE HAVE A LACK OF VISION FRPOM THESE LITTLE MEN WHO ASSUME POWER WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE IGNORANT TRHEY MAKE DCISONS THATARE MUCH TOO LARGE. THIS IS WHY WE HAVE AN AFRICAN UNION AND A CONSTITUTION THAT YOU SIGNED A TREATY TO. AFRICANS MUST READ THE CONSTITUTION AND NOTICE THAT WE ARE NTO DETERMINED TO INVITE OUR FORMER ENSLAVERS TO TAKE UP RESDENCE AS THE FRENCH WANTS TO ALONG WITH THE US. SO NOW E AHVE NATO ALL OVER AFRICA. SINCE THE DEATH FO GADAFFI THE WEST HAS MOVED IN PROPERLY OVER THE CONTINENT. THEY SEEMED TO HAVE KNOWN WELL IN ADAVNCE HOW DEEP THEY PLANNED THEIR ASSAULT ON AFRICA. THE FRENCH AS USAUAL LEAD THE PARADE WITH COTE d' IVOIRE, AGAIN WITH LIBAY ARMING RECOGNISISNG THIS SAME TERRORIST WHPOM THEY HAVE NOT FOUGHT WHICH ARE THE SAME BOYS WHOM THEY ARE ARMING IN SYRIAAND THE SAME BOYA WHO RUNS LIBYA. THE WEST IN COLLUSIOPN WITH THE UN DESTROYED LIBYA TO TAKE AWAY ITS STATUS AMONGST AFRICANS AS THE ONLY RICH FREE COUNTRY INDEPENDENT IN AFRICA. THE ONLY COUNTRY THAT DID NTO OWE TO BANKS WAS A LENDER AND THE COUNTRY THAT HIRED AFRICANS FROM ALL OVER TH CONTINENT . THEY ALSO WERE THE ONLY COUNTRY TO RECIVE REPARARTIONS FROM ITALY FOR THIER COLONIAL RULE IN LIBYA"". WITH THE US AND FARNEC IN THE WEST AFRICAN REGION THEY COMP[LTELY NEGATE ECOWAS AS THE PRIMARY FORCES IN AFRICA . WHAT WE KEEP HEARING IS WHO IS GOING TO PAY FOR THIS. WHERE IS THE WEST GETTING ALL THIER M,ONEY FROM TO PAY FOR THIS???? THEY ARE BOTH BROKE FRANE THE US THE US IS SOIN DEBT THAT THEY WILL TAKE GENERATIONS BEFORE THEY CAN PAY OFF THIER DEBT!!! YET THEY ARE BUYING AFRICANS OUT OF THIER LANDS AND ESTAB;ISHINGT BASES IN AFRICA TO PROMOTE THIER HOMOSEXUALITY AND THIER WHOREMONGERING. THE US IS KNOWN FO THEIR RAPING OF WOMEN ALL OVER THE PLANET.. I CAN NOT BELIVE HOW STUPID SOME OF MY BROTHERS ARE THEY JUST FOLD UP LIKE NAPKINSSO EASILY!!!!!!!. WHERE IS THE BACKBONE AND PRIDE IN AFRICA DONT YOU REALISE THAT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO BY BUILDINGA SMOOTH ECOWAS REGION WITH FREE MOVEMENTS FOR ECONOMIC PROSPERIRTY WILL BE VOID AS LONG A STHE IMPERIA POWERS ARE LOCATED ON YOUR SOIL??? DOES AFRICANS TRULY WISH TO BE FREE ARE OR THEY TRYING TO RELIVE THEIR COLONIALSIM??? I KEEP SAYING AFRICANS ARE WIZE ??? THAT IS QUESTIONABLE THEY ARE STILL ALLOWING FOR WHITES TO DOMINATE THEM AS IF THEY HAVE THIS RIGHT TO DO THAT. WE SZAW THAT WITH SARCOZY WHO OVERTHREW A GOVERNMENT THAT WAS LEGAL AND NOW WE SEE WITH HOLLANDE HE IS MAKING DECISONS WITH A MEMBER OF A MILITARY COUP???.. FRANCE SEEMS TO HAVE THIS PROPENSITY TO RECOHNISING WHOM THEY WISH TO RECOGNISE?? ANYONE WHO IS IN OPPOSSITION TO A SITTING GOVERNMENT THEY DO NOT LIKE THEY OVERTHROW AND SEND IN TROOPS AS IF THEY CAN VIOLATE ALL INETRNATIONAL LAWS, THEN LEGITIMISING IT???? THIS IS NOT RIGHT, WAHT WE HAVE NOW IS A NATO MOVE ALL OVER AFRICA. THEY ARE NOW AGAIN TRYING TO DIVIDE THE CONTINENT WITH ARABS ABND SO CALLED BLACKS WITH SUB AFRICA AND NORTH AFRICA????? STUPID PEPLE THERE IS JUST AFRICA!!!!!! BTHE LAND OF THE BLACK MAN INCLUDING THE MID EAST. RIGHT NOW WE NEED TO FOCUS ON UNITY IN AFRICA; INSTEAD WE ARE SEEING THE MILITARISATION OF AFRICA. THE THREAT IN ALGERIA WHICH THEY ARE3 REFERRING TO IS NON EXISTENT TO EUROPE RO AFRICA AFRICA IS A VERY LARGE CONTINENT AND THEY DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH NUBBERS TO COME INTO AFRICA WITH THE BULL SHIT. ALGERIA HAS BEEN CONTAINED BY THE ARMY FOR DECADES. WHAT WE HAVE SI THE NEW ORDER OF FREINDS THAT THE NATO FORCES HAVE UNLEASHED UPON THE MID EAST AND ARE TRYING TO USE IN AFRICA WHAT HAS AHPPENED THAT THEY REALISE THEY HAVE INETERST IN THIS PART FO THE WORLD THE FRENCH DO NOT SO MUCH THE AMERICANS. REMEMBER THAT THE US AND NATO ARE THE ARMERS FINANCERS OF THESE SO CALLED TERRORIST THAT THEY ARE ARMING AND FIGTHING . LOOK AT THE DISAPEARNCE OF THE REBELS THEY HAVE SLIPPED BACK TO LIBYA AND SYRIA . THE WEST AFRICANS ALONG WITH THE AU CAN CONTAIN THIS WE DO NOT NEED SO MANY DRONE BASES OR FRENCH RTOOPS IN AFRICA IT SEEMS TO MUCH OF THE SAME OLD COLONIAL TRICKS. LESSON ONE THE FRENCH ACTED ILLEGALY WHICH THE REST FO THE NATO FORCES THEN UPHELD TO BE LEGAL AND THE UN A STOOGE BODY OF NATO FELL IN LINE!!!!. THE US CLAIMS THEY WONT ACT IN MALI BECAUSE THEY DONT RECOGNISTE MILITARY COUPS YET THEY ARE RECOGNISISNG TERRROIST IN SYRIA AND THE SAME IN LIBYA!!!.. BOYS AND GIRLS LETS LOOK AT FACTS THE TWO OPPOSSING ISDES IN MALI DID NOT COME TO BLOWS WHY ?? THEY ARE FREINDS!! YES FREINDS!!!!! THEY ARE BEING ARTMED TRAINED RECOGNISED EVERY HWERE ELSE EXCEPT MALI BECAUSE FO URANIUM GOLD AND HEGEMONY OF NATO THE ENSLAVERS!!!. LIBYA WAS THE CATAPULT TO REGINA THIER IMPERIAL FOOTPRINT IN AFRICA. WHAT WE ARE WITNESING IS THE DISMISAL OF THE AU AND THE REGIONAL BODIES ARE GETTING A BLOW ECOWAS IS JUST A SUBOURDINATE FORCE OF THE WEST. WHAT WE HAVE WITH THIS MALI ARMY IS THE BULLY WITH HIS BIG FREIND BEATING UP VEYONE THEY DONT LIKE. FOR INSTACE THE MALIANS ARE MN NOWING TAKING PUT THIER WEAK DEFENSE AS WELL THIER EVEN WEAKER OFFENSE BY MURDERING TAUREGS WHOM ARE MALIANS THEY ARE ALSO TAKING OUT THIER ANXIETY ON LIGHT SKINNED MALIANS WHOM WERE NOT EVEN PART OF THE RBEEL MOVEMENT. THIS APPARENT MOVE BY THE WEST TO OUST TERRORIST IS REALLY A TERRORIST ACTION BY THE WEST TO GRAB POWER IN WEST AFRICA "!!!. AS YOU SAW THE WEST IS FULLY BEHIND FRANCE RESPONDING WITH AIRLIFTS DRONES AND MORE TROOPS???????? WAKE UP AFRICA. WE KNOW HOW TO GET RID OF TERRORIST WE HAD A WEAK GOVERNMENT IN MALI '; A WEAK ARMY UNDERPAID UNDER TRAINED . ALL THESE THINGS COUPLED WITH THE VAST AMMOUNTS OF ARMS THAT WAS DROPPED IN THE SAHEL BY FRANCE??? WHAT WE SEE IS FRANCE FULFILLING ITS HEGEMONIC ROLE IN THIER FORMER COLONIES WHICH THEY SEE AS WEAK. WE SEE THIS IN IVORY COAST NIGER MALI MOST OF THE FREANCOFONE COUNTRIES ARE THE MOST UNDERDEVELOPED IN ALL AFRICA!!!. WE NEED TO LIBERATE ALL AFRICA; THESE NATIONS DO NOT HAVE THE PAN AFRICAN SPIRIT THAT IS DEFIANT RESILIENT INDEPENDENT AND UNIFIED. WHAT WE DO NOT WANT IN AFRICA, IS SEPERATION AMONGST AFRICANS WE WANT TO SEE THE DEVELOPMENT AND FREE THINKING OF ALL AFRICANS. WE SEE THAT BENEVOLENCE IS THE WAY FORWARD. WHAT THE WEST IS GIVING TO US IS WAR AND MILITARISM . WHENEVER WE SELL THEM LAND FOR BASES THEY MILITARISE THEY CONSPIRE THEY COMMIT SEDDITION ESPIONAGE THEY CONTRIBUTE TO CORRUPTION THIS IS WHATY THEY DO!!!!!! THEY COMMITT ILLEGALITIES ALL OVER AFRICA THEY UNDERMINE AFRICAN UNITY THEY CREATE RUMOURS WHICH CREATES WARS !!!. THEY USE THESE TACTICS TO GO INTO THE UNITD NATION NTO DRAFT SANCTION ETCETRA. WHAT WE NEED TO OD IS SOVEREIGNTY FOR ONE AFRICA. WE CAN ALL BE INDEPEDNENT BUT NEUTRAL WITHOUT SIDE AND SOVEREIGN WITHIN OUR BORDERS. SHOULD THE CONTINENT BECOME SOVEREIGN THERE WOULD BE A MORE DIFFICULT TIME FOR THE WEST TO COMMITT SUCH TERRORIST ACTIVITIES IN AFRICA AS THEY DO NOW!!. NATO ISA MISCHIEF MAKER FILLED WITH TRICKS SUBTERFUGE AND A PATHOLOGICAL DESIGN TO BECOME TH WORLD HEGMON. WHAT THEY HAVE SUCCEEDED IN DOING IS RADICALISING MANY MORE THAT ARE GROWING INCREASINGLY LARGE IN NUMBERS THRUOUGH OUT THE MID EAST. IN NORTH AFRICA THEY HAVE TURNED LIBAY INTO THE COMPLETE OPPOSSITE TO WHAT IT WAS FORMERLY THERE ARE NOW JIHADIST THAT ARE THE MAJOUR PLAYERS IN LIBYA. WAR LORDS ARE NOW THE DICTATE IN LIBYA. THE LIBYAN GOVERNMENT IS JUIST AFRONT TO SELL AND DO AMERICAN BUSINESS. WHERE BEFORE WE COULD COUNT ON NORTH AFRICA S EBING A PART OF THE AFRICAN NARRATIVE THEY ARE EXCLUDING THEMSELVES BECOMMING MORE OF A JIHADIST WITH RACIST ATTITUDES TOWARDS AFRICANS. WHERE COULD THEY HAVE GOTTEN SUC H RADICALISATION FROM???? THE WEST NO DOUBT!!. THESE MIXED RACE YOUTHS DO NOT EVEN KNOW THEY LIVE IN AFRICA AND THAT AFRICA IS A BLACK CPONTINENT CONTRARY TO WHAT THE WHITES SELL ON THIER PROPOGANDA MEDIA STATIONS'.. BROWN SKINNED AFRICANS ARE DEFINING THEMSELVES AS MORE WHITE THAN BLACK ??? NOT ALL BUT WITH THSE WHITE AND LIGHT SKINNED JIHADIST THEY WANT TO CONTROL THE NARRATIVE DEALING WITH BLACK MAN AS THOUGH HE WAS THIER SUPERIRO. THIS ATTITUDE HE HAS LEARNED FROM HIS FREIND AND ALLY THE NATO HEGEMONIST"".WE ALSO HAVE ALOT OF WHITES WHOVE CONVERTED TO ISLAM THEY KNWO HOW TO READ AND WRITE THEY COME INTO AFRIICA THE MID EAST THEY SPEAK ARABIC THEY HAVE ARABIC NAMES THEY CREATE THIS IGNORANCE ABOUT WHO TRUTHFULLY AN AFRICAN IS AND WHO WAS THE FIRST MAN ON THE PLANET? TO WHOM WAS TRULY FIRST IN MONOTHESEIST PRACTICES . THIS MONOTHESEIST BELIEF WAS PRACTICED FDROM CORNER TO CORNER IN ALL AFRICA BEFORE WHITE DOMINATION WITH THE HELP OF THESE SAME WHITE SO CALLED "ARABS" WHO OVER THREW THE STAUS QUO IN AFRICA WITH A MORE SUBSERVIENT AFRICAN POPULATION THAT WAS DESTINED TO BE MORE IGNORANT; AS THE TRUTH WAS LOST TO HISTORY. WHAT WE MUST REMEMBER IS THAT HISTORY WAS COMPLETELY WHITE WASHED' FROM THE MID AGES TILL TODAY!!!!!!!.
The Scramble of Africa 2 / Imperial colonization