AGADEZ, Niger -- Nigerien and U.S. civil affairs teams from Nigerien Air Base 201 partnered again to deliver humanitarian aid to the citizens of Teghazert, Niger, approximately 8 km east of Agadez on Sept 8, 2021. The donation consisted of footballs, rice, prayer mats, buckets, soap, and mosquito netting and was timed to coincide with a gathering to celebrate the election of Teghazert’s new chief.
The donation was the third combined operation from Nigerien Air Base 201 between U.S. civil affairs and the recently formed Forces Armées Nigériennes (FAN) counterpart, the Action Civil‐Militaire (ACM). The first two missions this spring were humanitarian supply donations to Beital and Ikadewan, north of Agadez.
For the mission to Teghazert, the FAN ACM chose the village and assessed its needs. The U.S. civil affairs team provided the humanitarian aid donation items and provided operational support behind the scenes. Both teams shared responsibility for executing the mission.
U.S. Army Sgt. Joseph A. Bovee, a U.S. civil affairs soldier, discussed combined operations with the FAN ACM team.
“The reactions we see from the local villagers is the most rewarding aspect of working with the ACM,” he said. “The people appreciate when they see both U.S. and Nigerien forces together.”
The commander of Nigerien Air Base 201, Capt. Badage Oumarou, declared, “The various actions of the Security and Defense Forces and American partners are greatly appreciated by the local population. The inhabitants of Teghazert have shown their gratitude and urge the expansion and continuity of this diversity.”
The FAN ACM and U.S. civil affairs teams plan to conduct more missions together in the future to make a positive impact in the Agadez region.
“Aid deliveries like this show the FAN ACM’s long-term value, especially as the unit continues to expand its outreach to serve local communities,” Bovee said.