On Saturday, Chadian government spokesperson Abderaman Koulamallah announced the “redeployment” of 600 soldiers from the G5 Sahel force contingent. What does this decision imply?
When the Chadian G5 Sahel contingent, comprising 1 troops, was deployed in February, this decision was accompanied by a pledge of funding from French President Emmanuel Macron. Shortly before Idriss Déby Itno's death, this same contingent was moved to Niger. While the Front pour l'alternance et la concorde au Tchad (FACT) threatened to attack N'Djaména, Barkhane's air force was prevented from intervening in favor of the former Chadian president, because of the intervention. the French National Assembly on one side and the closure of Sudanese and Central African airspace on the other.
Since Idriss Déby's death, Chadian troops have succeeded in stopping the FACT offensive. Chad, now in political transition, had reassigned its troops to the “Three Borders” area in western Niger. However, the withdrawal of half of these forces, announced this Saturday, August 21, suggests a change of priorities from the new Chadian power. But what does this mean?
France and Chad: whoever pays orders
Chad's active participation had been conditioned from day one by the former president. If the country contributed to the sending of troops within the Sahelian coalition headed by France, Paris was supposed to make a financial and logistical contribution. Aid that has not yet been paid.
In Chad, the security threat is not limited to cross-border terrorism. Indeed, in the southeast, the Lake Chad region has experienced an escalation of violence. And Chad, in the midst of a transition, lacks the means to ensure its transition and, at the same time, to organize the elections. For this reason, the head of the Chadian Military Council (CMT), Mahamat Déby, demanded international financial assistance: $ 1,5 billion.
Assuming that "he who pays orders", France should therefore honor its promise to the late Idriss Déby, and finance his son's CMT. The redeployment of troops could therefore be a direct reaction from Chad to broken promises from France.
Forces sent to calm areas
Currently, Chad faces a threat in the south. However, Abderaman Koulamallah assures us that the troops will be redeployed in northern Chad. "This is not a withdrawal," said the spokesperson for the government. Before continuing: "This is a strategic redeployment and it has absolutely no impact on the ability of the Chadian forces to play their role as driving forces in the fight against terrorism."
Read: G5 Sahel: Chad sacrificed on the altar of French failure
A “military source” told French media that the decision had been “under consideration for several months”. However, this information is difficult to justify: the Chadian contingent has only been on the ground for five months, three of which went to the outposts of the G5S in southern Niger. Clearly, Chad never really got involved.
For the Chadian government, the assignment of these reinforcing troops in northern Chad could be explained by "several columns of rebels". However, no later than June, the Chadian army claimed to have neutralized the rebel threat in this area. What's more, in his speech of August 11, Mahamat Déby called on rebels of all stripes to participate in the transition. Mediation is reportedly underway, led by the African Union on the one hand, and Togolese diplomacy on the other.
As for the border threat, in the south, Chad is currently on good terms with the CAR. The few Central African rebels who cross the borders do so with the approval of the Chadian authorities. The Chadian army even protected the Seleka elements of Ali Darassa, risking a diplomatic incident with the Central African Republic. On the Lake Chad front, the Cameroonian and Nigerian armies are also engaged in the fight against terrorism.
Few military factors would therefore justify Chad's decision. Does N'Djaména expect an imminent threat in the north? Libya currently appears stable and there is no indication that this will move in the coming months.