US Troops To Leave Chad In Second African State Withdrawal

[Tofunmi]

The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) has announced plans to withdraw some military personnel from Chad. This decision follows the recent agreement to remove US forces from neighboring Niger.

Approximately 100 US troops are currently deployed in Chad as part of the US strategy to combat extremism in West Africa. “We are currently planning to reposition some US military forces from Chad, as part of an ongoing review of our security cooperation,” said Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder.
This move is temporary and will be reassessed after Chad’s May 6 presidential election. The decision was prompted by Chad’s air force chief ordering the US military to suspend activities at an air base near the capital, N’Djamena.

US troops in Chad have been training anti-terrorism special forces and an elite Chadian army unit to fight the Nigerian jihadist group Boko Haram.

Niger, another key partner in the US and French strategy against jihadists in the region, has also ended a military cooperation agreement with Washington. The US has begun discussions with Niger to withdraw its 1,000 personnel and a $100 million drone base.

“We will continue to explore options to address potential terrorist threats” following the withdrawals, said Ryder.

The withdrawal from Chad comes as General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, who seized power in a 2021 coup, has announced his candidacy in the upcoming presidential election. Opposition candidates have been banned from running, and his main rival was killed in an army assault.