Chad and the United Arab Emirates has strengthened their bilateral relation further as the former has taken delivery of military apparatus.
The stock received included; military vehicles and security equipment. In the front line, the NIMR, a tactical 4×4 cut for the desert.
For several years, the United Arab Emirates has supported N’Djamena in the fight against terrorism and armed groups as they share same regional strategic vision.
The UAE through the WAM news agency on Sunday, August 6, 2023 confirmed the delivery of military apparatus to Chad for security beef amidst growing coups in the West African region and armed conflict in Sudan.
This delivery made public is linked to the defense agreements signed between the Emirates and Chad during the visit of Chadian transitional President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno to the UAE in June 2023, in the presence of Emirati President Cheick Mohammed Ben Zayed Al Nahyane.
Over the past decade, Chad has established itself as a key player in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel. In 2013, during Operation Serval in Mali, Chadian forces played a key role alongside France, contributing to the recapture of the strategic town of Kidal.
In 2014, Chad joined the G5 Sahel, a regional initiative to coordinate development and security efforts, and deployed its troops as part of the G5 Sahel Joint Force. In 2015, the “Soldier of Africa”, led a major offensive against the terrorist group Boko Haram, taking over several towns and villages. Although the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) is withdrawing from Mali, Chad was nevertheless, here again, an essential pillar.
For their part, the United Arab Emirates made a very early commitment against terrorism in the Sahel region. Two examples: in 2017, they contributed $30 million to the G5 Sahel. In February 2021, the UAE is participating in the seventh ordinary session of the G-5 Sahel Summit in N’Djamena, reaffirming its commitment to cooperate for stability and security in the region.
“Little Sparta” and “the Soldier of Africa”, aligned, work closely towards their objectives of regional stabilization as this delivery demonstrates. This reinforcement of Chadian capacities comes at a time when the Sahelian region, destabilized by the return of terrorism and armed groups – in Mali for example – requires increased vigilance.
Although the Emirates News Agency, WAM, did not provide specific details of the equipment provided, it did publish images of vehicles from the NIMR family, “tiger” in Arabic, including the NIMR ABJAN MK2. This range of off-road armored vehicles is manufactured in the United Arab Emirates by NIMR Automotive, a subsidiary of the Emirati state conglomerate EDGE Group.
These robust vehicles proven by several armies outside the Emirates themselves – including Algeria, Libya, Turkmenistan, Yemen, Jordan – are specifically designed for military operations in harsh desert climates such as the Sahel. A version adapted to European countries is jointly developed by the Czech industrialist VOP CZ and NIMR from 2017.
The NIMR AJBAN MK2 is a light 4×4 tactical patrol vehicle, protected against bullets and explosions, for a crew of five. This multi-role capable vehicle is built for effective mine blast protection and a bulletproof rear cargo compartment.
Technical specifications of the NIMR AJBAN MK2:
● Gross vehicle weight (GVW): 11,500 kg
● Payload: 2,916 kg
● Crew: 2+3
● Maximum speed: 110 km/h
● Length: 5620mm
● Width: 2350mm
● Height: 2390mm
● Wheelbase: 3,400mm
● Autonomy: 700 km at 100 km/h
● Transmission: 6-speed automatic
● Engine power: 223 kW (300hp) or 268 kW (360hp)
