The United States is edging nearer to cementing its military footprint in West Africa, with Côte d’Ivoire emerging as Washington’s next strategic defense partner following a turbulent exit from Niger. At the heart of this evolving partnership is the potential launch of a U.S. drone base—part of a recalibrated effort to confront expanding jihadist threats and rising geopolitical competition in the Sahel region.
American officials and their Ivorian counterparts are engaged in advanced talks that may soon see U.S. drone operations launched from Ivorian soil. Although no formal announcement has been made, both sides appear eager to deepen their security cooperation, with U.S. defense leaders citing the strategic importance of the country’s location on the edge of a region beset by transnational crime, piracy, and violent extremism.
On April 24, 2025, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) Commander General Michael Langley traveled to Côte d’Ivoire to kick off Flintlock 2025, a multinational military exercise bringing together over 500 special operations forces from 38 countries. The high-level visit, held in Jacqueville, wasn’t just ceremonial—it offered a window into Washington’s long-term defense strategy in West Africa.
General Langley, alongside U.S. Ambassador Jessica Davis Ba, met with Ivorian Minister of Defence Téné Birahima Ouattara and military chief Lt. Gen. Lassina Doumbia. Talks focused on strengthening bilateral security ties and elevating Côte d’Ivoire’s growing role as a regional hub for counterterrorism and maritime security.
“Our shared security challenges are increasingly complex,” General Langley reportedly told his Ivorian counterparts. “But with the right partnerships, we can disrupt terrorist networks and safeguard democratic gains in the region.”
Though discussions around the drone base remain sensitive, it’s clear that plans have been in the works for some time. U.S. interest in Côte d’Ivoire intensified after Washington began scaling down its presence in Niger, following a political shift and growing hostility toward Western military forces in the Sahel.
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Rumors about a drone base near the northern town of Odienné have circulated since 2024, though U.S. officials deny that any single location has been finalized. Kenneth Eckman, AFRICOM’s West Africa coordinator, recently pushed back against French media reports suggesting that construction was already underway. He stressed that while no base is currently being built, discussions have focused on leveraging existing Ivorian military infrastructure to avoid the delays and costs of new construction.
“It seems to me that if we could consider basing closer to that area of operation, our effectiveness would be enhanced,” Eckman noted, referencing the volatile tri-border zone shared by Mali, Burkina Faso, and Côte d’Ivoire.
Indeed, the Sahel has become a hotbed of insecurity over the last decade, with armed groups increasingly spilling into coastal states like Côte d’Ivoire. Abidjan has responded by ramping up its military readiness and positioning itself as a stable, capable partner in an otherwise unstable neighborhood.
Beyond terrorism, the U.S.-Ivorian alliance is also seen as a counterweight to rising Russian and Chinese influence in the region—both countries having made significant inroads in military and economic affairs across West Africa.
For Côte d’Ivoire, the prospect of deeper security cooperation with the U.S. brings both promise and pressure. While many Ivorians see American partnership as a vote of confidence in the country’s growing clout, others warn of the risks that come with hosting foreign military operations—especially in a region where external influence often sparks controversy.
For now, no final decision has been made. But all signs point to a shifting security architecture in West Africa—one that places Côte d’Ivoire at the center of U.S. strategy in the region.
