A week after formalizing the departure of its soldiers from Niger, the United States this time announces the withdrawal ” temporary “ of their forces stationed in neighboring Chad. “The US Africa Command is currently organizing the repositioning of part of the US forces in Chad, some of which are already departing” said Major Pete Nguyen, Pentagon spokesperson, during a press conference on Thursday (April 25). Washington specifies that this “temporary step is part of the ongoing review of our security cooperation which will resume after the presidential election on May 6.”
According to the American press, and unlike Niger where the transitional authorities led by putschist soldiers officially demanded the departure of American soldiers, cooperation could resume provided that the parties find common ground which would lead to a new status of forces agreement, the text which governs the presence of American troops on Chadian soil.
According to The New York Timeswhich cites several official American sources, the first departures to Germany (where the Africom command is headquartered) should begin on Saturday April 27 and end on Wednesday April 1er may. Still according to the newspaper, around 75 members of the American special forces are affected by this departure.
“They supported counterterrorism operations in the Sahel and the Lake Chad region” where different groups from Boko Haram are still active, indicates a source at the State Department. According to an informed observer, the Americans would notably provide valuable monitoring and operate drones in the region.
“Clarifications”
However, in N’Djamena, both parties are trying to minimize the scale of the crisis. On the Chadian side, we express a certain incomprehension: “No one asked the Americans to leave!” “, indicates Defense Minister Yacouba Dago, contacted by telephone. “The Air Force simply asked for clarifications after noting the absence of documents justifying the presence of the Americans on the Kosei base,” he continues.
The affair was made public on April 19 by the leak on social networks of a letter addressed by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force to the Chadian Minister of Defense dated April 4. In this missive, General Idriss Amine Ahmed indicates that the Air Force asked the American defense attaché “to immediately stop American activities” on the Kosei air base (south-west), where several hundred tricolor soldiers from the French forces in the Sahel are also stationed.
You have 45.18% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.