The United States has deployed MQ-9 Reaper drones to Nigeria, a US defence official confirmed on Monday, as part of a new security partnership aimed at bolstering the country's fight against militant groups.
The drones arrived after 200 US troops were sent to Nigeria last month to provide training and intelligence. The MQ-9s, capable of flying above 40,000 feet for over 30 hours, are based at Bauchi Airfield in the northeast. The US Africa Command (AFRICOM) stated they will be used solely for intelligence-gathering and training, not airstrikes.
Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, faces a complex security crisis, particularly in the north. Militant groups include Boko Haram, its Islamic State-affiliated offshoot ISWAP, the IS-linked Lakurawa, and bandit groups involved in kidnapping and illegal mining.
The deployment follows an agreement after US President Donald Trump alleged Christians were being targeted in Nigeria's crisis. The US previously operated a drone base in Niger, but it was shut down after the ruling junta expelled US troops.
Earlier this month, three suspected suicide bombings in Maiduguri killed at least 23 people and wounded 108. No group claimed responsibility, but suspicion fell on Boko Haram, which launched its insurgency in 2009. Over 40,000 people have been killed since then, according to UN data.
