The French military announced on December 10th the beginning of its troop withdrawal from Chad, following N’Djamena’s decision to end security and defense agreements with France.
On Tuesday, France launched Mirage fighter jets stationed in Chad, marking the start of the military pullout from the former French colony in Central Africa, according to French army spokesperson Colonel Guillaume Vernet.
After decades of presence in Chad, the first Mirage combat aircraft returned to their base in eastern France.
Chad, which hosts around a thousand French military personnel across three bases, stated that it made this decision in the name of « sovereignty » following a « thorough evaluation. »
On Wednesday, December 4th, Chad established a special commission to oversee the termination of the military agreement between Paris and N’Djamena, with a focus on an « orderly withdrawal of bilateral commitments. »
French ground forces will gradually withdraw in the coming weeks, as stated by Chad’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Koulamallah Abderaman, in a press release.
Chadian authorities emphasized that the end of the defense agreement does not affect the historical ties between the two countries and expressed their desire to maintain relations in other areas of mutual interest.
The break between Chad and France follows the forced withdrawal of French forces from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Now, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye is calling for the closure of French military bases in Senegal, arguing that their presence is incompatible with Senegal’s sovereignty.