US creates extends new drone base in Cameroon

The establishment of the new base is a "dramatic uptick" in Washington's war on terror in Africa, with Boko Haram as one of the enemies, The Intercept said.

The United States has expanded its drone operations in Africa by establishing a new secretive base in Garoua, Cameroon, the investigative online publication The Intercept said in a report on Thursday.

"Garoua represents the newest expansion of America’s stealth war against jihad in Africa," the report stated.

The Intercept argued the US move into Cameroon represents a "dramatic uptick" in the War on Terror in central Africa, particularly against the Islamist terror group Boko Haram.

The report noted that the United States has also flown unmanned drones from bases in Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya, as well as ships off the East African coast.

In addition, the United States has located predator MQ-1 and MQ-9 Reaper drones in Niger, Chad and the Seychelles International Airport, according to

the report.

The Intercept said the base in Cameroon became fully operational earlier in this month, and is currently hosting four Gray Eagle drones.

"The four drones, which can carry out surveillance missions in rotation 24 hours a day, allow US intelligence analysts to gather detailed information about Boko Haram’s movements, bomb-making factories and military camps," the report explained.

The gathered information is reportedly shared with local troops spread across the Lake Chad area.

The Intercept also said that the US National Defense Authorization Act for 2016 has allocated $50 million to build an airfield and base camp at Agadez, Niger to support US military operations in western Africa.