France has begun withdrawing its military forces from Chad, a former French colony in north-central Africa and one of the ten countries in the Sahel region, following Chad’s decision to terminate its defense cooperation agreement with Paris last month.
On Tuesday, Chad’s military gathered at an air force base in N’Djamena to bid farewell to two French Mirage fighter jets departing for a French air base in Nancy, located in eastern France, according to French military spokesperson Col. Guillaume Vernet.
Vernet confirmed that Chad and French officials are currently negotiating the withdrawal of the remaining French troops, which number around 1,000.
Chad’s decision to end its military cooperation with France marks what the government has described as a “historic turning point” for the nation, which gained independence from France in 1960. The Chadian government noted that this move allows the country to take greater control over its future military partnerships and to align them with its own national priorities.