The U.S. ambassador to Niger, Bisa
Williams, made the request at a meeting on Monday with President
Mahamadou Issoufou, who immediately accepted it, the source said.
"Niger has given the green light to
accepting American surveillance drones on its soil to improve the
collection of intelligence on Islamist movements," said the source, who
asked not to be identified.
The drones could be stationed in Niger's
northern desert region of Agadez, which borders Mali, Algeria and
Libya, the source said.
A spokesperson for the United States' African Command (AFRICOM) declined to comment.
The United States already has drones and
surveillance aircraft stationed at several points around Africa. Its
only permanent military base is in the small country of Djibouti in the
Horn of Africa, more than 3,000 miles (5,000 km) from Mali.
After her talks with Issoufou, Williams
told reporters they had discussed economic and military cooperation and
development issues. She also expressed Washington's appreciation for the
French-led military mission to expel an alliance of al Qaeda-linked
fighters from northern Mali.
French and Malian troops retook control
of the ancient trading town of Timbuktu on Monday, as they drove deep
into the heart of the desert region the size of Texas seized by Islamist
fighters last year.
Washington has provided military
transport planes to airlift men and equipment into Mali but said it will
not send combat troops.
The head of the U.S. Africa Command,
General Carter Ham, visited Niger last month. The poor, landlocked West
Africa state has said it wants to have closer security cooperation with
Washington. (Reporting by Abdoulaye Massalatchi, Additional reporting by
John Irish in Paris; Writing by Daniel Flynn. Editing by Jeremy Gaunt.)
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