No one knew they were waging one
After 9/11, the US built a network of military outposts across the northern tier of Africa to fight a shadow war against Islamist groups. Niger became central to the effort. From Base Airienne 201, known to locals as “Base Americaine,” US drones were sent across the region to track down Islamist terrorists. The coup against President Bazoum marks another disruption in this long-running, mostly secret, war on terror. American troops in Niger are currently confined to their bases. The future of America’s two-decade counterterrorism campaign there is in doubt.
