Chad's Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah has refuted US General Kenneth Eckman of the US Africa Military Command (AFRICOM) regarding the return of US troops to his country, allegedly at the request of N'Djamena.
"There has been no contact between the military departments, and we categorically deny this information. We have not discussed with the American government the return of its troops to Chad," Koulamallah said in a statement.
Chad is a sovereign state and will remain master of its decisions on national security and military cooperation with its international partners, the minister added.
In an interview with Sputnik, Chad's former Interior Minister Ibrahim al-Asil said that the public opinion in the country is against the French military presence and that US troops are not coming back.
"The US forces previously cooperated with the Chadian side in the framework of fighting terrorism and left without returning until now, based on the statements issued by the state, which directly clarified this," al Asil added.
He noted that public opinion in the country does not care much about the US troops, but rather focuses on the need for French troops to leave Chad, which has become their last foothold in Africa after leaving many African countries.