The US has delivered the first batch of military equipment to Niger in efforts to improve the capacity of the G5 Sahel group which is actively fighting terrorism and especially Boko Haram in the region.
The first batch of equipment included transport, fuel, and water trucks; GPS-enabled navigation systems; fuel containers; military tents and individual soldier equipment. The US has pledged $21 million of equipment to the West African country.
The shipment, along with upcoming armored and tactical vehicles, communication equipment, and personal protective gear, will bolster Niger’s capability to deploy the mobile infantry force assigned to the G5 Sahel Joint Force and improve security along Niger’s, Mali and Burkina Faso borders.
Additionally, the US this year included a $16.5 million command and control center, which was handed over to the Nigerien Armed Forces in February. The center comprises a new building, two deployable tactical operations centers, specialized communications equipment, and radios.
The US military presence in Niger has expanded in recent years to an 800-strong force that accompanies Nigerien troops on intelligence gathering and other missions in West Africa’s Sahel region.
