Africa on Drones

The continent has new eyes in the sky.

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Africa on Drones - Drones, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, have being touted as the go-to tool for targeting militants in far-flung locales and for keeping an eye on the progression of radical groups. Now, as these mysterious aircrafts begin to rack up miles in Africa, BET.com looks at where the drones are flying and why. (Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Niger - The U.S. military operates a major drone base in the northwestern African country of Niger. The country shares borders with Mali, Libya and Nigeria, countries struggling to contain armed extremist movements, and the drones housed in Niger are deployed to these countries regularly.The base houses unarmed Predator drones for now, but U.S. officials say they have not ruled out equipping the aircraft with Hellfire missiles in the future.(Photo: REUTERS/U.S. Air Force/Airman 1st Class Jeffrey Hall/Handout)

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Niger - The U.S. military operates a major drone base in the northwestern African country of Niger. The country shares borders with Mali, Libya and Nigeria, countries struggling to contain armed extremist movements, and the drones housed in Niger are deployed to these countries regularly.The base houses unarmed Predator drones for now, but U.S. officials say they have not ruled out equipping the aircraft with Hellfire missiles in the future.(Photo: REUTERS/U.S. Air Force/Airman 1st Class Jeffrey Hall/Handout)

Ethiopia - The U.S. launched a drone base in Ethiopia in 2011 to help conduct counter-terrorism operations around the Horn of Africa.Ethiopia recently built its own drone for surveillance use by the Ethiopian government. (Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

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Ethiopia - The U.S. launched a drone base in Ethiopia in 2011 to help conduct counter-terrorism operations around the Horn of Africa.Ethiopia recently built its own drone for surveillance use by the Ethiopian government. (Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Djibouti - Also home to the headquarters of the U.S. African Command Center (AFRICOM), Djibouti is home to eight Predator drones that are used for surveillance across North Africa. The base also houses eight F-15E fighter-bombers and is staffed by 300 Special Operations Forces and more than 2,000 other U.S. troops and civilians. (Photo: REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya)

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Djibouti - Also home to the headquarters of the U.S. African Command Center (AFRICOM), Djibouti is home to eight Predator drones that are used for surveillance across North Africa. The base also houses eight F-15E fighter-bombers and is staffed by 300 Special Operations Forces and more than 2,000 other U.S. troops and civilians. (Photo: REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya)

U.S. Expanding Spy Operations in Africa - The U.S. military is expanding its secret intelligence operations across Africa and utilizing private contractors to spy on supposed terrorist hideouts, reports say. (Photo: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

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Seychelles - According to reports, the U.S. has used the Seychelles islands as a launching point for drones destined for Somalia and other locations in the Horn of Africa since 2009. The military suspended drone flights over the Seychelles in 2012 after several crashes occurred. (Photo: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

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How Did Rice Explain the Discrepancy? - Rice continues to defend her message, saying that she informed the public with the most accurate and unclassified intelligence she could share at the time. She claimed that the attack started as a protest and was “hijacked” by more militant forces.(Photo: AP Photo/Mohammad Hannon, File)

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Libya - After the attack on a U.S. Embassy in Benghazi, Libya, U.S. officials confirmed that drones have been operating in Libya under the Defense Department drone program and only for surveillance purposes.(Photo: AP Photo/Mohammad Hannon, File)

Somalia - Armed U.S. drones have been operating in Somalia since 2012, targeting al-Qaeda affiliate groups. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism reports that there has been at least 10 U.S. combat operations in Somalia in the past five years. (Photo: REUTERS/Jacquelyn Martin/Pool)

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Somalia - Armed U.S. drones have been operating in Somalia since 2012, targeting al-Qaeda affiliate groups. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism reports that there has been at least 10 U.S. combat operations in Somalia in the past five years. (Photo: REUTERS/Jacquelyn Martin/Pool)

Homegrown Origins - The M23 rebels (also known as the Congolese Revolutionary Army) are former Congolese soldiers who defected in April 2012 and seek to overthrow the government. The name M23 comes from a peace deal signed on March 23, 2009, that the rebels say the government hasn't honored. (Photo: DAI KUROKAWA /LANDOV/EPA)

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Democratic Republic of Congo - The United Nations is placing surveillance drones in its arsenal of intervention tactics in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where rebel groups have destabilized the region. (Photo: EPA/DAI KUROKAWA /LANDOV)

Human Rights Watch: Ivory Coast Military Committing Abuse - A new Human Rights Watch report claims Ivory Coast's military was responsible for widespread human rights abuses in August and early September 2012, including arbitrary arrests, illegal detentions, extortion, inhuman treatment and, in some cases, torture. (Photo: AP Photo/Emanuel Ekra, File)

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Ivory Coast - Like the DRC, the U.N. is also considering sending drones to Ivory Coast, where the country is still recovering from nearly a decade of unrest. (Photo: AP Photo/Emanuel Ekra, File)

Drone On - Americans are less skeptical of the use of drones overseas than some lawmakers seem to be, even if the targets are U.S. citizens. The results of a Fox News poll published March 4 found that 74 percent approve of using drones to kill suspected terrorists, including 80 percent of Republicans, 71 percent of independents and 69 percent of Democrats. (Photo: REUTERS/U.S. Air Force/Lt Col Leslie Pratt/Handout)

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Future? - While things seem calm for now, many expect U.S. involvement on the continent to heat up over the next few months. Reports say that intelligence gathered by U.S. drones flying over Mali could help the French plan airstrikes or prompt Nigerian security forces into action.(Photo: REUTERS/U.S. Air Force/Lt Col Leslie Pratt/Handout)

Clues of What's to Come - Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that “a handful of high-value individuals” are in North Africa with suspected connections to al-Qaeda, leaving the door open that there may be new targets for capture or killing in the region. (Photo: Andy Wong-Pool/Getty Images)

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Clues of What's to Come - Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that “a handful of high-value individuals” are in North Africa with suspected connections to al-Qaeda, leaving the door open that there may be new targets for capture or killing in the region. (Photo: Andy Wong-Pool/Getty Images)