After the coup, the US military resumed the use of drones and manned aircraft in Niger
The United States agrees with Niger's military commanders to resume drone and manned aircraft operations at two air bases.
The US military has resumed operations in Niger, withdrawing drones and other aircraft from the country's air bases, more than a month after a coup halted operations, the head of the European and African air forces said.
Since the July coup that overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum, around 1,100 US soldiers stationed in the West African country have been detained at their military bases. General James Hecker of the
said on Wednesday that negotiations with Niger's military leadership had led to the resumption of some intelligence and surveillance missions. "We haven't had operations at the bases for a while, they've basically closed the airfields," Hecker told reporters at the Air and Space Force Association's annual meeting.
"With the diplomatic process that we are carrying out, I would not say that we are completing 100% of the missions that we have carried out before, but we are carrying out a good number of the missions that we have carried out before," he said.
Hecker said that the United States is flying both manned and unmanned missions and that such flights have resumed "in recent weeks."
The Pentagon said last week that some American forces had been moved from Air Force Base 101 near the capital Niamey to another base, Air Base 201 in Agadez.
Agadez is located approximately 920 km (approximately 570 miles) northeast of Niamey.
The U.S. military has made Niger the main regional outpost for its armed drone patrols and other operations against militants and rebel movements that have seized territory in the region, killed civilians and fought armed forces. According to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), there were more than 1,800 rebel attacks in West Africa in the first six months of this year, killing nearly 4,600 people.
France, which remains an ally of former President Bazouma, has around 1,500 soldiers in Niger. Paris officials declared their continued support for the ousted president and declared the coup and its perpetrators illegal.
Niger's military leaders also call on the French army to leave the country. There has been speculation that France would be forced to withdraw its troops entirely, and a French Defense Ministry source said last week that the French army was negotiating with the Nigerian army to withdraw “elements” of its presence in the country.