US has deployed Intelligence Machinery to Support Nigeria; 'Drone Diplomacy' Coming --Gen Carter Ham

Gradually, the drones are coming to Africa with Niger as the first point of contact. Britain tested her Apache helicopters in Libya and America wants to start testing new versions of the drones in Africa now. The admission of Gen Carter Ham, a man who had once noted the ruthless acts of US army in Africa  shows the drones are coming big time.

It is noteworthy that commander of the United States Africa Command US AFRICOM, Gen. Carter Ham, confirmed that the US has deployed its intelligence machinery to support Nigeria in fighting the threat posed by Boko Haram.

Ham, who spoke in an interview session with a Nigerian media delegation in Stuttgart recently, said the support followed a request from the Nigerian authorities. The AFRICOM commander, who assumed the post in 2011, however, declined to give the details of the partnership with the Nigerian military against the terrorist group.

Gen. Carter Ham was at the Nigerian Defence College (NDC) where he expressed concern over the increasing connectivity and collaboration between the network of Al Qaeda affiliates and adherents in Africa, including the Boko Haram sect.

Gen Ham reiterated: 'Our core concern in the big picture is that if the US "drone diplomacy" must enter Nigerian sovereign territory, it must be a clearly defined collaborative arrangement, not a mish-mash of hazy cooperation without specific rules of engagement. Our weight and clout on the continent must be properly reflected in this matter. Our foreign policy priorities and internal security imperatives must take centre stage.'

Nigerian leaders will be gullible enough to allow rhetoric becloud their sense of reasoning. Drones have done more harms and damages to Pakistan, killing innocent youths and children yet Niger accepted them and they are now with us in West Africa, close to Nigeria while Nigeria will soon domicile them in her territory too.

The prediction of a possible break-up of Nigeria in 2015 predicted by the US as far back as 2005 is what all these point to beginning from the so-called SSS report on Iran. This is just a way to infuriate the people of the North and the reactions will heat and boil up the already fragile disunited and disjointed unity.