There
are strong indications that the United States government may launch
attacks against Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East, as a drone base
being constructed in the Niger Republic would soon be completed.
According to reports, the American drone base is under construction in Agadez, a town in Niger.
The
facility is expected to offer US military, greater ability to use
drones against Islamist extremists in countries like Libya, Mali and
Nigeria.
But some security experts told SUNDAY PUNCH that such drone attacks against insurgents in the North might kill innocent people.
The
project, considered to be the United State’s most important military
construction effort in Africa, according to secret files obtained by an
online medium, The Intercept, will gulp $100m.
The
construction of the base is an indication that the US is paying more
attention to terrorist groups in Nigeria and other countries on the
African continent.
“As the only country in the region
willing to allow a US base for MQ-9 Reapers — a newer, larger, and
potentially more lethal model than the venerable Predator drone — Niger
has positioned itself to be the key regional hub for US military
operations, with Agadez serving as the premier outpost for launching
intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions against a
plethora of terror groups,” The Intercept said. Read More on Punch
