US military continues to 'step back' in Africa

In a letter to the Minister of the Armed Forces of Chad dated April 4, Chief of the Air Staff of the country Idriss Amine Ahmed said he had asked the US defense attaché to suspend Washington's activities at the Adji Kossei air base, according to Reuters.

The letter said the decision was made after “the US side” failed to provide documentation explaining the basis for their presence at the base near Chad’s capital, N’Djamena. According to Mr. Ahmed, agreements on logistical support and personnel were insufficient.

Chad and Niger forces exercise with US and Western forces in Chad in 2015

The Chad government did not immediately comment. A US State Department spokesperson said: "We are in discussions with Chadian officials about the future of our security partnership."

"As Chad is focused on preparing for the presidential election on May 6, we expect the two sides to hold consultations on aspects of our security cooperation after the election," Reuters quoted the spokesman as saying.

Interim President Mahamat Idriss Deby will run for re-election next month, making Chad the first of the military-run nations in West and Central Africa to hold elections.

Chad and its neighbors were important partners of Western militaries in the common fight against the insurgency of radical Islamist groups in the region, until coups in recent years.

However, so far, Chad has not "followed" the military governments in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to end military cooperation with France and other traditional allies in the West, while strengthening relations with Russia.

Niger ends military agreement with US, criticizes "arrogant" behavior

Meanwhile, the US military is said to be about to withdraw from Niger, Chad's western neighbor. Reuters recently quoted a source saying that the military government in Niamey has reached an agreement with US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell on Washington's troop withdrawal.

As of last year, Niger had more than 1,000 US troops stationed there. The US forces operate from two bases, including a drone base called “Air Base 201” near the city of Agadez in central Niger that cost more than $100 million to build.

A US C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft at Air Force Base 201 in Niger in 2021.

Since 2018, the base has been used to launch attacks against the Islamic State (IS) and Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen, an al-Qaeda affiliate, in Africa's Sahel region.

The US and Niger will discuss how to withdraw troops in the coming days, the source told Reuters, adding that the two sides would maintain diplomatic and economic ties.

The New York Times previously reported that more than 1,000 US troops would leave Niger in the coming months.

Last month, the military government in Niger said it was suspending a military agreement that allows US military and civilian personnel from the Department of Defense to travel to the country. The Pentagon later said it was working to clarify the way forward.

A US official revealed that Washington has fewer than 100 troops stationed in Chad on a rotational basis. According to the official, leaving Chad is not good for the US military but it will be much easier than withdrawing from Niger.

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