Chad announced this Saturday, August 21, that it had withdrawn half of its troops deployed in February within the G5 Sahel’s anti-jihadist force in the so-called “three borders” area, the border areas of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. An announcement by the Chadian government spokesman Abderaman Koulamallah, which minimizes this withdrawal.
The Chadian authorities are talking about a strategic relocation measure. In connection with the RFI, Abderaman Koulamallah, a spokesman for the Chadian government, specified that this was a “strategic relocation and not a withdrawal”.
“This is not an outlet. This is a strategic reassignment and it has absolutely no bearing on the ability of the Chadian forces to play their role as driving forces in the fight against terrorism.
Abderaman Koulamallah, spokesman for the Chadian government
A group of 1,200 Chadian soldiers had been deployed in the area to fight jihadist groups, as part of the G5 Sahel’s multinational force, which includes Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Burkina Faso. The zone with the three borders is, with the center of Mali, the most affected by jihadist attacks.
France, strongly involved in the fight against jihadists in the region, recently announced the gradual reduction of its military personnel in the Sahel in favor of a reduction of 2,500 to 3,000 men against the 5,000 or so who made up the Barkhane force, later introduced for to disappear.
►Read also: France-G5 Sahel Summit: France specifies reorganization of its Sahel military system
.
