A US Team in Chad recently hosted a Traditional Leaders’ Engagement to bring together key municipal, traditional, and religious leaders in N’Djamena, the nation’s capital. This event provided a forum for key influencers to discuss security issues with the premiere Chadian counter-terrorism force, the Special Anti-Terrorism Group (SATG); allowing local leaders to address their questions and concerns directly to those responsible for combatting Boko Haram and other violent extremist organizations. 60 Chadian leaders participated in the day-long event, to include traditional leaders, government officials, members of civil society and the Chadian military along with the US Ambassador and other members of the US military and embassy staff. Spirit of America was able to facilitate the effort by providing basic logistical support. Highlights of the event included:

• Traditional leaders aired concerns to the Regional Governor of Chari-Baguirmi and drafted a resolution for the Prime Minister and President of Chad outlining a suggested strategy for future efforts.
• The SATG Commanding General provided an overview of the unit’s mission and capabilities, which was broadcast on national news.
• The US Ambassador delivered remarks highlighting the impact SATG is making on regional security and the importance of civil-military engagement in counter violent-extremism
• Chadian leadership echoed gratitude for US support and requested further US military cooperation to address insecurities throughout the country

Bringing together informal, government, and military leaders for open discussions about local security concerns and issues allowed participants to develop a shared understanding of local vulnerabilities and set the stage for improved future cooperation to reduce violence and extremist recruiting. In Chad, as in other neighboring countries facing the Boko Haram threat, US teams are supporting local efforts to improve stability and security – building their capacity to both react to the extremist threat and address the needs of their people – and this event was a great example of this approach.