Another defeat for the Biden administration as Niger terminates its military partnership with the United States to host military forces, and Air Base 201, a $100 million construction that serves as a drone base for US forces in north and western Africa. The decision follows a visit by State Dept officials and US Africa Command head Gen. Langley to Niger to discuss a “democratic transition” of Niger’s government. According to Niger’s ruling military spokesman Col. Amadou Abdramane, the US refused to follow diplomatic protocol by not informing Niger of the composition of its delegation ahead of the visit.
Per Al Jazeera, Niger hosts around 650 US military personnel who operate a major airbase in Agadez for manned and unmanned drone surveillance flights. The drone baqse, called Air Base 201, was built at a cost of more than $100 million. Niger effectively acts (or acted) as the center of US operations in west sand north Africa and the drone base is among one of the most expensive US military construction projects ever undertaken by the DOD. With the loss of Niger, the US just lost a front for power projection against China and Russia in Africa.
Another defeat for the Biden administration as Niger terminates its military partnership with the United States to host military forces, and Air Base 201, a $100 million construction that serves as a drone base for US forces in north and western Africa.
The decision follows a… pic.twitter.com/PsjQVQlSSF
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) March 17, 2024
