The US withdraws troops from Chad in the African state’s second withdrawal

The United States says it plans to withdraw some of its troops from Chad, days after announcing the withdrawal of troops from neighboring Niger.

The withdrawal of about 75 U.S. special forces will reportedly begin this weekend and be completed within days.

The US is keeping about a hundred troops in Chad, under the pretext of fighting extremism.

“USAFRICOM is currently planning to reposition a number of U.S. forces from Chad, some of which would already be moving out,” Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told a news conference Thursday, referring to the U.S. Africa Command.

“This is a temporary step as part of an ongoing review of our security cooperation, which will resume after the May 6 presidential elections in Chad.”

However, countries in the Sahel region are beginning to question the legality of the US military presence.

In March, Niger’s government also said it was terminating a military cooperation agreement with Washington, saying the U.S. military presence had been illegally imposed on Niger.

The country has also started talks with the US about ending its military presence in the African country.

This month, Chad’s air chief ordered the US military to halt operations at an air base near the capital N’Djamena, according to a letter to the transitional government.

He said he had asked the US military to provide documents “justifying his presence at Adji Kossei Air Base” but had not received them.

General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno took power after his father, President Idriss Deby Itno, who ruled the country for 30 years, died in April 2021 during an operation against rebels.

The military junta initially promised to hand over power to civilians, but in October Deby’s rule was extended for two years.