The United States is redeploying Special Forces troops to Chad, nearly five months after their withdrawal at the country’s request. The return follows an agreement reached between the U.S. and Chadian authorities.
“We have reached an agreement on the return of a limited number of Special Forces personnel,” said Maj. General Kenneth Ekman, who managed the recent U.S. withdrawal from Niger, during an exclusive interview with VOA on Thursday. Ekman explained that while the decision was made by Chadian President Mahamat Deby, the specifics of the operation are still being finalized.
In April, approximately 70 U.S. Special Forces were withdrawn from Chad ahead of the country’s presidential election, in which Deby was later declared the winner. His decision to allow U.S. forces to return was recently communicated to U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).
Ekman emphasized that the new U.S. presence in Chad will be smaller than the previous operation, which supported Chad’s 11,000-member counterterrorism force in combating Boko Haram and Islamic State militants in the Lake Chad region.
“The approach from Chad is immensely important,” Ekman said, particularly in light of the U.S. withdrawal from Niger. “If our presence in Niger allowed us to go inside out relative to the Sahelian-based VEO [violent extremist organization] threat, we now have to revert to going outside in.”
U.S. Africa Command, led by General Michael Langley, is currently “resetting and recalibrating” its strategy in the region. Before coups in Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali, the U.S. had maintained strong counterterrorism operations in these countries. The coups, however, led to a suspension of military cooperation under U.S. law, severely limiting American military access to key locations that previously served as vital hubs for intelligence gathering and counterterrorism training.
Now, nations such as Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, and Chad will play a crucial role in shaping the U.S. counterterrorism strategy and military presence in West Africa. Ekman noted that each country has its own security concerns and varying degrees of tolerance for a U.S. military presence. Ghana and Nigeria, for example, have explicitly stated they are not interested in hosting U.S. forces.
Despite diminished access and strained partnerships, some West African nations along the coast have expressed interest in increased U.S. capabilities. The U.S. has begun refurbishing an airfield in Benin to accommodate military aircraft and has repositioned Special Forces in Ivory Coast following the Niger coup. However, Ekman cautioned that any expansion of U.S. military presence in the region would be a policy decision.
“I don’t think you’re going to see another Air Base 201,” a senior U.S. military official said, referring to the $100 million drone base in Niger.
While the U.S. is exploring ways to bolster partner garrisons and base capabilities, no agreements have been reached since the withdrawal from Niger. “We’re not there yet,” Ekman said.
Since the suspension of U.S. counterterrorism operations in Niger, the region has become “more opaque,” according to Ekman, as U.S. access and partnerships have diminished. This has complicated efforts to monitor and counter the growing terrorist threat in West Africa.
The U.S. is currently undergoing a period of reflection, reassessing its partnerships and strategies in the region. While military efforts have focused on countering terrorism, officials acknowledge that diplomatic and economic approaches are crucial to addressing the root causes of extremism in the region.
The U.S. withdrawal from Niger has been a significant loss, not only for the U.S. but also for regional partners who relied on American intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. Since the July 2023 coup in Niger, extremist attacks have intensified, with the country facing severe losses in resources and international support.
“They’re absolutely feeling [those losses],” the senior military official added.
Despite the challenges, Ekman expressed optimism that shared security objectives between the U.S. and Niger would continue to link the two nations. “How we will pursue [those objectives], either together or apart, as a consequence of the withdrawal remains to be seen, but we wanted to make sure we kept all options on the table,” he concluded.
(AP)
