Washington. The United States will withdraw most of its troops from Chad and Niger as it works to restore agreements governing the role the US military can play there, the Pentagon said Thursday.
Both African countries have been integral parts of the US military’s campaigns against extremist organizations in the Sahel region, but Niger’s ruling junta last month ended an agreement allowing US troops to operate in the country. In recent days, neighboring Chad also questioned whether an existing agreement covered US troops operating there.
The United States will for now relocate most of the approximately 100 troops it has deployed in Chad, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Thursday at a news conference.
“While discussions with Chadian authorities continue, US AFRICOM is currently planning to reposition some US military forces in Chad, some of which were already scheduled to leave. This is a temporary measure as part of the review of our cooperation in this area. security, which will resume after the May 6 presidential elections in Chad,” Ryder said, using the acronym for the US Africa Command.
In Niger, most of the 1,000 US troops stationed there are scheduled to withdraw, Ryder said.
U.S. and Nigerien officials were scheduled to meet Thursday in Niamey, Niger’s capital, “to begin discussions about an orderly and responsible withdrawal of U.S. forces,” the State Department said in a statement issued late Wednesday. Follow-up meetings between senior Pentagon and Nigerien officials are expected next week “to coordinate the withdrawal process in a transparent manner and with mutual respect,” Ryder said.
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– 2024-04-27 14:34:45
