The US military has pulled its troops out of a French military base in Chad after the country asked them to leave last month. According to sources familiar with the matter, more than half of the US troops stationed in Chad’s capital, N’Djamena, have already left and relocated to Germany.
Most of the US troops in Chad were part of the Special Operations Task Force, which moved from Germany to Chad in 2021. Now, about 60 of them have been moved back to Germany temporarily. The Pentagon spokesperson confirmed this relocation, saying it’s part of a review of security cooperation, which will resume after Chad’s presidential election on May 6th.
However, some US forces will remain in Chad, operating from the US embassy, along with Marines providing embassy security.
This withdrawal from Chad comes shortly after Niger ended its agreement with the US military, leading to negotiations for the withdrawal of over 1,000 US troops from Niger. The dispute between Chad and the US seems to revolve around paperwork issues, likely to be resolved after Chad’s elections.
These developments are crucial for US interests in Africa, especially with concerns about growing Russian influence on the continent. Marine Corps Gen. Michael Langley, head of US Africa Command, highlighted the dilemma facing Central African countries in needing assistance from various countries while balancing risks to national sovereignty.
Gen. Langley’s visit to Chad earlier this year underlined AFRICOM’s commitment to building lasting partnerships with Chad and other African nations.
