Africa: Why Washington is Withdrawing its Reaper Drones from its Bases

The Pentagon plans to transfer its MQ-9 Reaper drones from Africa to the South American command, in response to military strengthening in Colombia and Ecuador for drug-fighting operations. This withdrawal could complicate ongoing counterterrorism operations in Africa, where U.S. military priorities are already low. Additionally, the U.S. military has lost about a quarter of its Reaper fleet during the conflict against Iran, further weakening its operational capacity.