France has started withdrawing its military personnel from Chad, following the country’s decision last month to end a longstanding defense agreement with Paris. According to Chad’s defense ministry, 120 French soldiers departed from a military airport in the capital, N’Djamena, on Friday, marking the beginning of the troop pullout. This comes 10 days after French fighter jets left Chad.
Chad had been a key partner in France’s military presence in Africa, particularly in the Sahel region, which had been impacted by a series of military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, forcing the withdrawal of French forces from those countries.
On November 28, Chad announced its decision to terminate the defense accord, which had been in place since the country’s independence in 1960. The French troops, which numbered around 1,000, left on an Airbus A330 Phoenix MRTT, heading to France. The departure took place with the presence of Chadian military officials, reflecting the intensity of the two countries’ security cooperation.
French military personnel and aircraft had been stationed in Chad for decades, providing training and support to the Chadian military. The French government has yet to comment officially on the withdrawal.