According to reports, Chad has requested that US forces cease operations at an aviation facility close to N’Djamena, the country’s capital.
Chad has reportedly requested that US troops cease activities at an air base near the capital, N’Djamena, which is currently the sole location of American military presence in the country. This request was communicated through letters sent by Chad’s armed forces minister, Air Force Chief of Staff Idriss Amine Ahmed, as per several media outlets this week. The letters were directed to the US defense attaché, with variations in reported content. Bloomberg, having allegedly seen one of the letters and confirmed it with a Foreign Ministry spokesman, stated that Chad simply notified the US to halt their activities at the base. Conversely, CNN, citing intelligence sources, claimed that a separate letter ordered the US military to vacate the Adji Kossei Air Base entirely, accompanied by a threat to cancel the Status of Forces Agreement governing US military operations in Chad.
A purported spokesperson from the US State Department informed Bloomberg that Chad had not explicitly requested the departure of US forces, citing an agreement between the two nations to reassess security cooperation following the upcoming Chadian presidential election. According to Reuters, Amine Ahmed expressed in another letter to Chad’s transitional government that he instructed the US defense attaché to cease activities at the air base due to the failure of American troops to provide necessary documentation justifying their presence.
Chadian authorities refrained from commenting on media inquiries, while the US State Department indicated ongoing discussions with Chadian officials regarding the future of their security partnership. However, uncertainty remains as to whether Chad genuinely desires the withdrawal of US troops or if the current situation is driven by political maneuvers ahead of the forthcoming elections.
Reports indicate that the US maintains a contingent of fewer than 100 rotational troops in Chad. This development follows Niger’s recent termination of a decade-long military agreement with Washington, allowing the US to station approximately 1,000 troops in the country. Across Africa, there has been a surge in anti-Western sentiment, evidenced by Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso’s recent decisions to end military agreements with France. Meanwhile, Russia has been expanding its influence in the region, signing cooperation agreements with over 40 African states as of mid-2023, including a partnership with Niger to enhance military collaboration and combat terrorism in the Sahel region.
