Chad’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Abderaman Koulamallah, has accused France’s President Emmanuel Macron of showing contempt for Africa after Macron said that African leaders had “forgotten to say thank you” for France’s role in combating extremism in the Sahel on Monday.
In a statement broadcast on state television, Koulamallah said, “The government of the Republic of Chad expresses its deep concern over President Macron’s remarks, which reflect a disdainful attitude towards Africa and Africans,” Al Arabiya News quoted.
While Koulamallah noted that Chad has “no problem” with France, he highlighted that French leaders “must learn to respect Africans.” He noted Africa’s “key role” in liberating France during both world wars, a contribution he said has never been “fully acknowledged.”
Koulamallah also criticized France’s long presence in Chad, saying it often served France’s strategic interests without meaningful contributions to the development of the Chadian people.
At the end of November, Chad terminated its defense and security agreements with France, deeming them “obsolete.” France, which had about 1,000 military personnel stationed in Chad, is now withdrawing its troops.
Macron made his comments during a speech to French diplomats earlier Monday, where he claimed no country in the Sahel would enjoy sovereignty without France’s military intervention.
France first intervened in Mali in 2013 to halt extremist advances and later deployed troops across neighboring Sahel nations.
However, France is now reconfiguring its military presence in Africa after being expelled from three Sahel countries—Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—now governed by juntas after a military coup. Senegal and Ivory Coast have also requested the withdrawal of French military bases from their territories.
Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko also condemned Macron’s remarks about African leaders being “ungrateful” for France’s military support, stating on social media: “France has neither the capacity nor the legitimacy to ensure Africa’s security or sovereignty.”
Le Président Emanuel Macron a affirmé aujourd’hui que le départ annoncé des bases françaises aurait été négocié entre les pays africains qui l’ont décrété et la France.
Il poursuit en estimant que c’est par simple commodité et par politesse que la France a consenti la primeur… pic.twitter.com/kNrBtkEGE0
— Ousmane Sonko (@SonkoOfficiel) January 6, 2025
Sonko further dismissed Macron’s claim that France’s military withdrawal from Senegal was the result of negotiated reorganization, calling it “completely false.” He indicated that the decision stemmed from Senegal’s determination as an independent and sovereign nation.