US Military To Return To Chad For Discussions To Retain American Troops Within The Country

The United States military is planning to return to Chad within a month to discuss the revision of an agreement that will allow American troops to remain in the country, an American general has said.

Last month, the US said it would withdraw about 100 troops from Chad following questions from the government regarding the legality of their operations there.

U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Michael Langley, the commander of U.S. Africa Command, said the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Chad was expected to be temporary, and is “part of an ongoing review of our security cooperation, which will resume after Chad’s May 6 presidential election.” He added that Chad had conveyed to Washington its desire to continue the security partnership after the presidential election there.

Chad’s presidential election is to hold on Monday, with analysts speculating that the current president will emerge the winner.

Langley said, “We’ll come back for discussions within a month to see in what ways, and what they need, to be able to build further in their security construct and also against terrorism”.

Niger hosts a significant U.S. air base located in the city of Agadez, approximately 920 kilometers (550 miles) from the capital, Niamey. This base is utilized for manned and unmanned surveillance flights, along with other operational activities. Since commencing operations in 2013, the United States has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in training Niger’s military.

Melissa Enoch

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