The DABEX experiment, based in Niamey, Niger, investigated the radiative effect of dust and biomass aerosols emitted from the Sahara/Sahelian regions. The interaction of dust and biomass over this region has not yet been well-established. Flights of the FAAM BAE-146 in conjunction with surface based sun-photometers determined the accuracy of the retrieval algorithms in terms of the aerosol optical depth, size distribution, and refractive indices. The GERB and SEVERI instruments onboard the geostationary MSG satellite platform have also been used to monitoring the evolution of the dust and biomass plumes.