美国在尼日尔建造无人机基地

The U.S. Air Force is getting close to completing a base in northern Niger for armed drones that will target militant groups operating in the area.
美国空军即将建在尼日尔北部建成无人机基地，用于打击该地区的激进组织。
Auburn Davis, a spokesman for U.S. Air Force Europe and Air Force Africa, told VOA that the base is the biggest U.S. Airforce-led construction project ever. The total proposed cost of building the base is $98.5 million.
美国空军欧洲与非洲司令部发言人奥本·戴维斯（Auburn Davis）对美国之音表示，该基地是美国空军主导的有史以来最大的建设项目。该基地规划的总造价为9850万美元。

The base is in the northern city of Agadez in the Sahara Desert. There, militants and smugglers find ways to go to and from Libya, Algeria, Mali and Chad.
该基地位于撒哈拉沙漠中的北部城市阿加德兹。武装分子和走私者在那里想方设法往返于利比亚、阿尔及利亚、马里和乍得。

About 650 military members will be deployed to the base once it is operational.
基地一旦投入使用，大约650名军事人员将会被部署到这里。

The U.S. military said an undecided number of military drones, including MQ-9s, will also be sent to the base. They are currently being used at another drone base in the capital, Niamey.
美国军方表示，数量不明的军用无人机也将被派往该基地，其中就包括MQ-9无人机，它们目前被用在尼日尔首都尼亚美市另一个基地。

The U.S military says it decided to build the base in Agadez in partnership with the government of Niger.
美国军方称其决定在阿加德兹建立基地是同尼日尔政府合作。

Nigerien Defense Minister Kalla Mountari confirmed that his government requested the Air Force's presence to help the country in its fight against terrorists and international criminal groups.
尼日尔国防部长卡拉·蒙塔里（Kalla Mountari）证实，尼日尔政府要求美国空军帮助该国打击恐怖分子和国际犯罪集团。

Militarization of the Sahel
萨赫勒地区军事化

Some experts believe the construction of the base is a sign that the Sahel area of Africa is becoming increasingly militarized.
一些专家认为，该基地的建设是非洲萨赫勒地区日益军事化的标志。

William Assanvo is a West African coordinator at the Institute for Security Studies Africa. He told VOA that the future base, "raises some concerns about foreign powers taking roots in the Sahel to pursue national interests that are not always clear..."
非洲安全研究学会西非地区协调员威廉·阿桑沃（William Assanvo）对美国之音表示，这座将来的基地“引发了人们对外国势力在萨赫勒开始扎根，追求自身通常并不明朗的国家利益的担忧。”

Nigerien officials consider the Agadez base important for dealing with the growing security threat of terrorism in Niger and nearby countries.
尼日尔官员认为，阿加德兹基地对于应对尼日尔及周边国家日益严重的恐怖主义安全威胁来说至关重要。

Niger's defense minister, Kalla Mountari, said the area between Agadez and his country's border with Libya is large and unpopulated. Militants are able, in his words, "to move about freely there." He added that militants also use the area to move weapons.
尼日尔国防部长蒙塔里表示，阿加德兹同利比亚边境之间的地区面积广阔、人烟稀少。用他的话来说，武装分子得以在那里自由行动。他补充说，武装分子还利用该地区转移武器。

Assanvo said he believes the move to Agadez could also be part of the U.S. military's effort to have a quiet presence in the area -- without leading to opposition from the local population.
阿桑沃表示，他认为迁往阿加德兹可能也是美军降低在该地区存在感、避免引发当地民众反对的努力的一部分。

"This is important," Assanvo said, "given the clear opposition a significant part of [the Nigerien population has] voiced about the increasing Western presence in the country."
阿桑沃表示：“鉴于尼日尔很大一部分人口对西方势力在该国的存在表达出的明确反对立场，这样做非常重要。”