By iNewsAfrica Correspondent | May 19, 2025
Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire – The United States is making significant progress toward establishing a new military drone base in Côte d’Ivoire, signaling a major strategic pivot in its West African operations following its exit from Niger.
This move comes after the U.S. was forced to shut down operations at its key drone base in Agadez, Niger, due to the breakdown of military cooperation following the 2023 coup and the rise of a hostile junta. With Niger no longer viable as a strategic outpost, Washington is shifting its military footprint to more stable West African coastal nations.
According to U.S. defense officials and regional sources, Abidjan is being considered as the potential site for this new base. The location would play a vital role in America’s counterterrorism efforts, enabling enhanced surveillance and intelligence gathering across the Sahel region—where Islamist militant groups affiliated with ISIS and al-Qaeda continue to destabilize communities.
The drone base in Côte d’Ivoire would also support regional security partnerships and provide tactical aid to allied West African nations combating insurgencies that have surged in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
Beyond military strategy, analysts view this development as part of Washington’s broader effort to regain influence in Africa, where Russian mercenaries and Chinese investments have increasingly taken root. Strengthening security ties with democratically governed coastal states like Ghana, Benin, and Côte d’Ivoire is now a key part of U.S. foreign policy in the region.
Officials in Abidjan have not made a formal announcement, but talks are reportedly ongoing at the diplomatic and defense levels.
As the United States recalibrates its African presence, the planned drone base represents not just a military installation—but a new chapter in West Africa’s evolving geopolitical landscape.
Leave a reply
Email: [email protected]
