The United States is set to withdraw its troops from Chad in the coming days, according to The New York Times.
The decision to pull the 75 soldiers stationed in Chad's capital, N'Djamena, was made by the Pentagon just days after the Biden administration announced that more than 1,000 American troops would be leaving neighboring Niger in the following months.
The withdrawal from the two African countries comes as their governments have demanded a renegotiation of terms for American engagement. The departure of US forces is occurring as Niger, similar to Mali and Burkina Faso, is increasingly turning towards Russia after years of security cooperation.
Although the decision to withdraw from Niger is final, anonymous US officials told The New York Times that there is still hope for renegotiating security cooperation after the Chad elections on May 6.
In the meantime, Hungary plans to send 200 soldiers to Chad in a military mission, with a key role being played by the prime minister's son, Gáspár Orbán. The decision for the mission was outlined in a prime ministerial decree published in February.
Chad is one of the world's poorest countries, home to about 20 active rebel organizations, while a relentless civil war ravages neighboring Sudan. The current president, Gen. Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, succeeded his father, President Idriss Déby Itno, who came to power in a 1990 coup and was killed in April 2021 during clashes between the army and the FACT rebel group. Chadian opposition leader Yaya Dillo was assassinated in February this year.