The US will pull the majority of its troops from Chad and Niger as it works to restore agreements governing what role there might be there for the American military and its counterterrorism operations, the Pentagon said Thursday. Both African countries have been integral to the US military's efforts to counter violent extremist organizations across the Sahel region, but Niger's ruling junta ended an agreement last month that allows US troops to operate in the West African country. In recent days, neighboring Chad also has questioned whether an existing agreement covered the US troops operating there, the AP reports.
The US will relocate most of the approximately 100 forces it has deployed in Chad for now, the Pentagon's press secretary said Thursday at a press briefing. "This is a temporary step as part of the ongoing review of our security cooperation, which will resume after Chad's May 6th presidential election," Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said. In Niger, most of the 1,000 US personnel also are expected to depart, he said. US and Nigerien officials were expected to meet Thursday in Niger's capital, Niamey, to plan the withdrawal, the State Department said.
Called status-of-forces agreements, the deals allow the US to conduct counterterrorism operations within both countries' borders and have supported military partner training. The reversals have prompted concern that US influence in Africa is losing ground to overtures from Russia and China. Relations have frayed between Niger and Western countries since mutinous soldiers ousted the country's democratically elected president in July. Russian military trainers arrived this month to reinforce the country's air defenses, and they brought Russian equipment, per the AP, which they would train Nigeriens to use. US officials said they'll press their case to Chad for continuing operations there.
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