President Mahamat Déby, son of Chad’s former president, was elected in May. Chad, once a strong ally of France, is now using the rivalry between Russia and its Western partners to its advantage.
According to the BBC, Chad is growing closer to Russia, making France and the US uncomfortable.
In January, Déby met with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, and in June, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Chad’s capital, N’Djamena.
Some officials in Chad have even talked about forming a new military partnership with Russia, though the focus right now is on building cultural and media ties.
Last month, Chad opened an official Russian cultural center, further strengthening these connections.
As reported by the BBC, not everything has gone smoothly. Last week, a “sociologist” linked to the Wagner Group, a Russian military contractor, was briefly detained in Chad, which caused Moscow to step in.
Despite this, the relationship between Chad and Russia is growing, which worries France and the US, especially since Russia has been spreading anti-Western messages in other African countries, like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, where military regimes have pushed Western forces out and turned to Russia for support.
Chad is crucial to France and the US. France has a large military base in N’Djamena, and the US had special forces stationed in Chad until Déby asked them to leave before the May election. However, after the election, the BBC reports that Déby agreed to let the US forces return, though on a smaller scale.
The situation in Chad is becoming more delicate. Russia is gaining popularity, and many young people in former French colonies are turning against the West.
Meanwhile, Chad’s strategic location, with its borders near troubled countries like Sudan, Libya, and the Central African Republic (CAR), makes it a key player in the region.
The Wagner Group, now renamed Africa Corps, has been involved in conflicts in these neighboring countries, and the fear is that Russia’s influence could grow even more.
According to the BBC, President Déby is aware of how valuable Chad is to the West. He took power after his father’s death in 2021 and decided to run for president, even though the African Union says military leaders should not take advantage of their position to become heads of state.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron privately urged Déby to allow a more democratic transition, but he didn’t publicly criticize him, as France wants to maintain its close ties with Chad.
The BBC also highlights that Déby is frustrated with both the US and France for various reasons, including investigations into corrupt financing by African elites in France.
However, it seems that for now, Chad is using its growing relationship with Russia to put pressure on its Western partners without completely cutting ties with them. Both the US and France hope that Déby sees Russia as a useful ally but not as a replacement for their partnership.