UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT BUREAU FOR DEMOCRACY, CONFLICT, AND HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE OFFICE OF TRANSITION INITIATIVES

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is submitting this report pursuant to the requirements set forth in the Transition Initiatives (TI) account heading of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-31, Division J). The TI provision directs USAID to “submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations at least five (5) days prior to beginning a new program of assistance” using TI funds. Accordingly, USAID is submitting this report in anticipation that the USAID Office of Transition Initiatives (USAID/OTI) will begin a new assistance program in the Republic of Chad with TI Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 funds. The program will initially target the Lake Chad region in the western part of the country and will seek to bolster local efforts to strengthen community resilience against violent extremist organizations (VEOs), especially the Islamic State in West Africa/Boko Haram (ISWA/BH), as part of a regional strategy to undermine the ability of VEOs to recruit and operate effectively.

The initial objectives of the program are the following:

• Reinforce regional security gains;
• Reinforce institutions and processes in the Republic of Chad that build resilience against VEOs, including ISWA/BH; and
• Strengthen regional linkages, coordination and joint efforts in addressing violent extremism and ISWA/BH across USAID/OTI and other U.S. Government (USG) programs in the Lake Chad Basin.

To enhance regional stability and promote U.S. foreign-policy interests, USAID/OTI will use its flexible, innovative, and rapid-response mechanism to target key areas in the Lake Chad area that are most susceptible to marginalization and the influence of VEOs. This program will complement other existing and planned USAID and other USG efforts in Chad itself and the broader Lake Chad Basin region that are focused on humanitarian assistance, particularly activities to restore livelihoods.

USAID/OTI will obligate an initial amount of $6,500,000 in FY 2017 TI funding for the program and anticipates the possible addition of future TI funds to the program if progress warrants further investment.