African state denies agreeing to return of US troops
Chad has not authorized the redeployment of American troops on its territory, the Central African nation’s foreign ministry said on Friday, denying reports citing a senior Pentagon official that Washington and N’Djamena had reached a new agreement.
The US Department of Defense withdrew some 70 personnel from an air base near Chad’s capital of N’Djamena – the only American military site in the country – after authorities there demanded a halt to their activities in April.
Major General Kenneth Ekman, director of US Africa Command (AFRICOM), announced in an interview with US state-run VOA published on Thursday that a limited number of soldiers would return to the landlocked state following a request from Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno.
“We had a headquarters there before, but we have reached an agreement on the return of a limited number of special forces personnel. It is a presidential decision,” General Ekman was quoted as saying.
“We’re working through the specifics on how we return. Chad is really important because… it’s an outside-in strategy. And the direction of approach from Chad is immensely important. They’ve also been a significant contributor to Sahelian security,” he added.
However, in response, Chadian foreign affairs minister and government spokesman Abdraman Koulamallah declared that no decision had been made regarding the return of the US specialized troops.
“The government of the Republic of Chad wishes to formally deny the information relayed by certain media concerning an alleged agreement authorizing the return of American special forces troops to Chadian territory,” Koulamallah said in a statement published by local media.
According to the diplomat, Chad is a sovereign state that retains control over its “decisions in matters of national security and military cooperation with its international partners.”
The alleged redeployment deal with the Chadian government comes just days after Washington completed the withdrawal of its forces and assets from Niger, months after the West African country’s military leadership demanded they leave.
Anti-West sentiment has grown throughout Africa, particularly in the Sahel region, where Islamist militants have led an insurgency for decades. Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have terminated defense agreements with their former colonial power France, accusing French forces of failing to combat terrorism despite a decade-long counterinsurgency mission. All three military governments have sought to develop defense cooperation with Russia as part of the Alliance of Sahel States despite concerns from Western governments against Moscow’s growing influence on the continent.
Chad, which is considered France’s last remaining ally in the Sahel, also recently started warming up to Russia. Earlier this year, President Deby met with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Moscow, and both leaders agreed to expand bilateral cooperation.
