UAE Military Equipment in Chad Given Situation in Niger

The United Arab Emirates reinforces Chad's army in view of the balkanization of its border zone with Niger. The shipment consists of "military equipment" which will be added to one of the best equipped armed forces in Africa.

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This is not the first time that an Arab power has sought to strengthen its ties in Africa, using the military conflicts taking place on the continent as a pretext. A few months ago, Saudi Arabia tried unsuccessfully to mediate in the conflict in Sudan. For the Emirate government, according to its own statement to the media, border security in Chad is a concern in view of the arrival to power of terrorist coup leaders in Niger.

Chad and the United Arab Emirates have been strengthening and updating their bilateral relations since the beginning of this year. In June, during the official visit to the Emirates of the president of the Chadian Transitional Military Council, Mahamat Déby, military cooperation agreements were signed, which have served as a precedent for this transfer of military equipment.

The Emirates also has two offices, one recently inaugurated, to manage the humanitarian aid it offers to the African country. From these offices, humanitarian aid has been delivered to the city of Amdjarass, where many of the Sudanese refugees are located.

Despite this reinforcement of Chadian military logistics, we must make it clear that the country is not part of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), an organization that issued an ultimatum to the Nigerian coup junta to overthrow power. Chad has officially declared that it will not participate in any military intervention against Niger. Although the agency did not provide details on the type of weapons supplied, Chad's Minister of Defence, Daoud Yaya Brahim, assured the press that they were equipment to fight terrorism.

Nigerian society remains in a situation of fear and uncertainty in the face of the military coup of 26 July, although some grassroots sectors of the country are joining the demands of the coup leaders.

Faced with this situation, ECOWAS will try to dismantle the coup d'état, a military action it has not carried out for years. This Sunday, the ultimatum that the institution had addressed to the coup leaders as a last diplomatic effort was defeated. "We want diplomacy to work, and we want this message to be clearly conveyed to the leaders of the junta in Niger, as we are giving every opportunity to reverse what they have done," said the ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Abdel Musah, during a meeting of the body. The probable military intervention by ECOWAS has led the Niger military junta to request, which has been answered in the affirmative, the support of its neighbors Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea in dealing with possible foreign intervention. De facto governments also hold power in these countries.