Chad has announced plans to withdraw its troops from the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), an alliance formed to combat Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin.
This force, backed by the UN, comprises around 11,000 soldiers from Chad, Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger, and Benin, working to counter-terrorism in the region.
Addressing this decision, Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Deby cited a lack of coordinated action among the task force’s member states and insufficient support for Chad’s military efforts.
His frustration follows a recent attack in which over 40 Chadian soldiers lost their lives in the Lake Chad area. Deby, currently overseeing military operations in the region, stated that Chad would focus on independently protecting civilians from terrorism, including threats from Boko Haram.
According to Remadji Hoinathy, a University of N'Djamena lecturer, Deby's decision reflects ongoing concerns about Chad’s struggle to receive prompt assistance from its task force partners.
Chad's government conveyed its decision to the task force following the recent deadly attack in Ngouboua, located near the Nigerian border.
The announcement coincides with reports that Chadian forces mistakenly killed several fishermen who were thought to be Boko Haram militants. Chad’s government, however, denied claims that its fighter jets were involved in bombing civilians, stating there is no verified evidence of civilian casualties.
Since Boko Haram’s emergence in 2009, violence has displaced approximately 3 million people and claimed around 40,000 lives across Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, and Chad.
The MNJTF was established in 2012 with the support of the African Union to bring peace and counteract the insurgency in the Lake Chad Basin.
