U.S. expanding drone operations in Africa

The United States is increasingly relying on unmanned aerial vehicles – better known as drones – to target the continuing threat of insurgent and terrorist groups across Africa

MQ-9 Reaper drone

U.S. drone base Other airbase available to U.S. Terrorist threat

Morón SPAIN

Dakar SENEGAL

Ouagadougou BURKINA FASO

*Location unknown

TUNISIA

ALGERIA

Sahara Desert

MALI

Niamey

Agadez 

NIGER 

NIGERIA

Garoua CAMEROON

Sigonella ITALY

LIBYA

CHAD

C.A.R.

D.R. CONGO

Entebbe UGANDA

Azraq JORDAN

Camp Lemonnier DJIBOUTI

SUDAN

SOUTH SUDAN

800km 500 miles

SAUDI ARABIA

YEMEN

SOMALIA

Kismayo

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb(AQIM):Islamists in Sahel region under U.S. surveillance. New $100m base being built at Agadez will allow drones to operate further north

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP): Yemen-based jihadists targeted by drones from Camp Lemonnier – main U.S. facilityin Africa undergoing $1.4bn upgrade

Boko Haram: Insurgent group losing territory in northeast Nigeria.U.S. assisting fight with intelligence-gathering operation and 300 troopsat secretive Garoua base

So-called Islamic State (Daesh) Militants close to being ousted from stronghold in Sirte. Armed Reaper flights launched from Jordan and Sigonella naval base in Sicily

Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) U.S. advisers providing intelligence to African Union task force hunting senior members of feared rebel group and its leader, Joseph Kony

Al Shabab: Jihadist organisation losing territory and top commanders due to ground operations and drone strikes. U.S. special forces reportedly operating from Kismayo airport

Sources: AEI, FP Group, Long War Journal, LRA Crisis Tracker, wire agencies