Paris, Dec 10
France has begun to withdraw its military forces from Chad, starting with the departure of fighter jets from the base in N'Djamena, the French Ministry of Armed Forces announced on Tuesday.
The decision came after the termination of a security and defense cooperation accord between Chad and France. The French Ministry of Armed Forces stated that the modalities of the disengagement of other French military capacities are being coordinated with the Chadian authorities.
Chad's Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah announced on November 28 that the decision to end Chad's defense cooperation agreement with France was made after an "in-depth analysis," marking a "historic" turning point. Despite this change, Chad intends to maintain constructive relations with France in other areas of mutual interest, he added, according to Xinhua news agency.
Before the withdrawal, France had deployed around 1,000 soldiers in Chad, as per French authorities. Additionally, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Senegal have also requested the departure of French soldiers.
On November 29, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye stated that the presence of French military bases on Senegalese territory is "not compatible" with the sovereignty his administration upholds, calling on France to shut down these bases.