The United States has initiated daily surveillance flights over Nigeria, signaling intensified security engagement between the two nations. Operated by a US contractor from a base in Ghana, these intelligence-gathering missions began in late November. The flights follow President Donald Trump’s recent threats of potential military intervention in Nigeria over what he calls a failure to protect Christian communities from militant violence. While the Nigerian government disputes the characterization of the violence as solely sectarian, it has agreed to cooperate on security. Analysts view the move as an effort by Washington to rebuild its operational capacity in West Africa after being expelled from neighboring Niger. This development underscores the complex and pressured diplomatic landscape as the US seeks to address regional instability.
Reuters