US to pull troops from Chad and Niger as the African nations question its counterterrorism role

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States will pull the majority of its troops from Chad and Niger as it works to restore key agreements governing what role there might be for the American military and its counterterrorism operations, two U.S. officials said.

Both African countries have been integral to the U.S. military’s efforts to counter violent extremist organizations across the Sahel region, but Niger’s ruling junta ended an agreement last month that allows U.S. troops to operate in the West African country. In recent days, neighboring Chad also has questioned whether an existing agreement covered the U.S. troops operating there.

The U.S. will relocate most of the approximately 100 forces it has deployed in Chad for now, one of the U.S. officials said. In Niger, the majority of the 1,000 U.S. personnel assigned there also are expected to depart, a second U.S. official said. They spoke on condition of anonymity to provide details that haven’t been made public.