21st February, 2013
By Collins Makinde
The United States of America (USA) is continuing to increase the number of drones in Africa which are used to kill several people around the world.
Instinctively, one cannot help pondering the rationale behind the agreement on drones base signed with the Republic of Niger by the US government for the fear that the latter, by design becomes a country of military occupation which will adversely affect its sovereignty and independence.
The armed drone strikes in Afghanistan and Pakistan readily come to mind considering the number of innocent people inadvertently killed when the targets were missed, eliciting resentment worldwide.
Niger Republic might have been scared by the probable incursion of terrorists and insurgents into her territory to inflict serious damage on her security apparatus.
President Barack Obama has nominated John Brennam as head of CIA, who will actively use drones for detection and annihilation of leaders of terrorist groups in Niger.
The battle in Mali which is her neighbour from the southwest accentuates the security concern.
She strongly feels vulnerable to terrorist attacks. Her willingness therefore to enter into such military alliance with the United States is understandable. It is within her competence as a sovereign state to do so.
However, this preservation of Niger’s enlightened self interest carries diplomatic obligation. There is a duty of care not to harm her neighbours.
Drones have a huge distance of patrol (about 750 km) and can be used not only over territory of a state where bases are located but also on territory of neighbouring countries, such as Nigeria, the West Africa power house.
Northern Nigeria has witnessed waves of violence perpetrated by the militant sect Boko Haram. Thousands of people have been killed in northeastern and central parts of Nigeria since the sect launched insurgency in 2009.
Brennam believes strongly that drones can save American soldiers’ lives. He was one of the key persons on the talks on deploying an American drone base in Saudi Arabia, which was used for discovery and termination of terrorists in Yemen.
Attacks over Yemen’s territory have been carried out or done with permission of the country’s government. As a result of such position, the Obama administration can increase deployment of drones around the world.
If the Obama administration deploys the drone base in Niger, they will be able to control the situation in Mali and to gather intelligence on the situation in the northern part of Nigeria, where Boko Haram is carrying out deadly attacks.
Not only that the drone base in Niger, will enable the US to control the terrorist threat, but also sensitive information about exact number of Special Joint Task Forces (JTF) deployment military bases and so on.
According to the US officials, the drone base in Niger will be used for surveillance to improve intelligence on Al-Qaeda linked Islamist fighters in northern part of Mali and the wider Sahara. But in possible future, the US will be able to use it to control the situation in Nigeria.
Though there is only one permanent US military base in Africa in Djibouti smaller drone hubs exist across the continent.
A key hub of the spy-drone programme is stationed in Burkina Faso, one of the world’s most impoverished nations; and a Predator-drone base was recently approved for Niger, an oil-rich country north of Nigeria. Several hundred Special Forces already operate in Niger, and according to the Pentagon, the drones are only meant to conduct surveillance of Al-Qaeda-linked organizations. Yet drone-launched missile attacks have not been ruled out.
African nations such as Somalia have already experienced the devastating impact of drone attacks.
The purpose of the drone base is most probably to track the movements of terrorists, insurgents and militants of all shades, be it Al-Qaeda clients or other similar organizations.
The base is to conduct surveillance under the direction of military experts and personnel numbering about 500 including some civilians. Unlike the US Africa Command, which has so far failed to secure a base in Africa, its projected military strength is put at 2000, as reported by newspapers. Africa Command has its headquarters now in Stuttgart, Germany.
The command too is intended to offer military training, conduct manoeuvres, surveillance and, in the event of deepening security threats from insurgents and terrorists, it will in joint operations with other troops from selected African countries contain, if not suppress, the threats.
Host state’s police and legal experts will then arrest and prosecute the terrorists identified. To all intents and purposes, the drone base is Africa Command in disguise.
In formalizing such cooperation arrangements, interference in the internal affairs of the countries hosting the bases no matter how slight should not be allowed.
Likewise the tenure of the base operators should clearly be stated and adhered to. All other loopholes touching on the sovereignty and independence of the host states must be jealously guarded. But there is real and urgent need to learn and adopt innovative methods for security vigilance, arrest of terrorists in good time and the application of preemptive measures that will sustain peace and stability necessary for the wellbeing of the people, particularly their lives and property.
Nigeria should put in place mechanisms to prevent uncontrolled free flight of America’s drones over its territory to secure independence and sovereignty.
•Makinde, a Lagos-based public analyst can be reached on e-mail: [email protected]