This week, multiple media outlets reported that Chad has requested the cessation of US troop activities at an air base near the capital city of N’Djamena, which is the only location where American military presence exists in the country.
The country’s armed forces minister, Air Force Chief of Staff Idriss Amine Ahmed, reportedly sent letters to the US defense attaché regarding this matter.
However, there are conflicting reports regarding the exact contents of these letters. Bloomberg, which claims to have seen one of the letters and verified it with a Foreign Ministry spokesman, stated that Chad simply alerted the US to stop their activity at the base.
On the other hand, CNN, citing intelligence sources, reported that a separate letter ordered the US military to completely vacate the Adji Kossei Air Base. Additionally, Chad allegedly threatened to cancel the Status of Forces Agreement, which governs the operations of the US military in the country.
The US State Department, as per Bloomberg, allegedly stated that Chad has not requested the departure of US forces and that both countries have agreed to review their security cooperation after the upcoming Chadian presidential election.
Another letter from Amine Ahmed, addressed to Chad’s transitional government, reportedly stated that he had instructed the US defense attaché to halt activities at the air base due to the failure of American troops to provide necessary documents justifying their presence. However, Chadian authorities have not responded to media requests for comment.
According to a spokesperson from the US State Department, ongoing discussions are taking place between Washington and Chadian officials regarding the future of their security partnership. However, it remains uncertain whether Chad desires the withdrawal of US troops from the country or if the current situation is merely a political maneuver ahead of next month’s elections.
It has been reported that the US currently maintains a contingent of fewer than 100 rotational troops in Chad. These developments come after Niger recently terminated a decade-long military agreement with the US, following a trend of African nations, including Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, severing military ties with Western powers like France.
In contrast, Russia’s influence in the region has been expanding, as evidenced by their growing number of cooperation agreements with over 40 African states, including a recent agreement with Niger to enhance military cooperation and jointly combat terrorism in the Sahel region.
