Both France and the US operate military bases in Niger and they have been used to launch operations against jihadist groups in the wider region.
Military officials from Eco-was countries are reportedly set to meet on Saturday to draft plans for a military intervention.
C.I.A. Drone Mission, Curtailed by Obama, Is Expanded in Africa Under Trump
“Late in his presidency, Barack Obama sought to put the military in charge of drone attacks after a backlash arose over a series of highly visible strikes, some of which killed civilians. The move was intended, in part, to bring greater transparency to attacks that the United States often refused to acknowledge its role in.
But now the C.I.A. is broadening its drone operations, moving aircraft to northeastern Niger to hunt Islamist militants in southern Libya. The expansion adds to the agency’s limited covert missions in eastern Afghanistan for strikes in Pakistan, and in southern Saudi Arabia for attacks in Yemen.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/09/world/africa/cia-drones-africa-military.html
The Presence of Lethal U.S. Drones in Niger is Expanding
“President Barack Obama transferred responsibility for drone attacks from the CIA to the U.S. military, in part in response to civilian casualties, and in part to manage better the public relations aspect of what are supposed to be clandestine operations. President Trump reversed that decision at the urging of then-CIA director Mike Pompeo in 2017. Now, it would appear that both the CIA and AFRICOM are, or are about to be, operating lethal drone strikes from bases in Niger.”
https://www.cfr.org/blog/presence-lethal-us-drones-niger-expanding
ECOWAS =15 countries?
Wagner Group = 9 countries?
The Sahel region in Africa should not be turned into another war zone. Pray for Peace.
(No one in their right mind would consider the business deal Niger had with France as fair.)