By Chad threatened Monday to withdraw its troops from the United Nations-supported Multinational Joint Task Force combating Boko Haram, following an attack that killed more than 40 Chadian soldiers last week.
President Mahamat Idiss Deby announced the potential pullout from the 11,000-strong force on state television, citing insufficient coordination among member states in the fight against terrorism. The task force, established in 2012, includes troops from Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Benin, and Nigeria to combat extremist violence in the Lake Chad Basin region.
“The absence of coordinated efforts among member states’ troops in jointly fighting Boko Haram terrorism” has undermined the force’s effectiveness, according to the presidential statement. Deby expressed particular frustration with the slow response to attacks, though he did not specify a timeline for the threatened withdrawal.
Dr. Remadji Hoinathy, a researcher at the University of N’Djamena specializing in Lake Chad Basin security, explained that Chad’s frustration stems from inadequate support following last week’s deadly attack in Ngouboua, near the Nigerian border. “Chad is not receiving the assistance it needs to track and eliminate several hundred Boko Haram fighters who attacked and killed more than 40 Chad government troops,” he said during a state television appearance.
The announcement coincides with media reports that Chadian forces mistakenly killed several fishermen in Lake Chad during anti-terror operations, though government officials dismissed these claims as unfounded. Belngar Larme Laguerre, president of Chad’s National Commission on Human Rights, defended the military’s ability to distinguish civilians from militants, stating they are “well-trained to find terrorists hiding among civilians.”
The African Union-authorized force, which receives UN technical support, has been crucial in efforts to protect civilians in a region where Boko Haram violence has killed approximately 40,000 people and displaced 3 million since 2009, according to UN figures.
Other member states have yet to respond to Chad’s withdrawal threat, which could significantly impact regional security efforts. Chad’s military presence has been considered vital to the task force’s effectiveness in containing militant activities across the Lake Chad Basin.
