The US will withdraw 75 US Army Special Forces personnel from Chad in the coming days, The New York Times reported on Thursday, citing US officials. The Pentagon later said the move was “temporary” as the US is looking to sign a new deal to continue its military presence in the country.
The news comes after Chad’s government sent a letter to the US threatening to scrap the agreement that justifies the US military presence in the country. US officials said they are hoping to resume talks on military cooperation after Chad’s elections on May 6.
The Green Berets are based at a military base in Chad’s capital, Ndjamena. The US officials said that a handful of US troops who work at the embassy or in other advisory roles will stay in Chad.
The withdrawal comes after the US said that it agreed to a request from the government in neighboring Niger to pull troops out. However, a top US military official said on Wednesday that the US hasn’t made a final decision to leave Niger or Chad.
The US has about 1,100 military personnel in Niger and a major drone base that serves as a hub for operations in the Sahel region, a presence it does not want to give up.
Joint Chiefs Vice Chairman Adm. Christopher Grady claimed that the US military was looking to negotiate a new deal with Niger, but the Nigerien government has given no indication it’s interested.
The military-led government, which took power in a July 2023 coup, severed its military agreement with the US in March and said there was no longer a legal justification for US troops to be in the country. The US has been dragging its feet, and a whistleblower said the US refusal to leave Niger has put US troops in danger.
