Earlier in the month, France initiated the process to remove its military presence from Chad, beginning with the withdrawal of two airplanes stationed in the capital, N’Djamena.
Currently, keeping in line with the decision, France has surrendered its military base to the Chadian army, as relayed via a statement.
“Today, December 26, 2024, the General Staff of the Armed Forces informs […] that, following the departure of fighter jets to France and the withdrawal of the first French combat troops from Chad on December 20, French troops handed over the Faya base to the Chad National Army,” read the statement.
“Chad and France continue to work closely together to ensure a rapid and respectful withdrawal of the French forces while respecting the sovereignty of each country,” the statement added.
According to the ministry, a cargo jet carrying 80 tons of supplies departed N’Djamena for France on Thursday morning, while a convoy of 54 cars headed toward the city.
Without giving an exact number, Chad’s military said that French troops had departed in trucks toward N’Djamena, which lies 780 kilometers (480 miles) to the south. There were around 1,000 members of the French army in the nation, as reported by Aljazeera.
“The handover took place in accordance with the calendar and the conditions agreed with Chad,” the French military chief of staff said separately.
French military’s decision to depart from Chad
The decision to remove French soldiers from Chad comes two weeks after Chad’s government dissolved its defense cooperation agreement with France.
Chad’s President, Mahamat Deby, indicated that the decision to dissolve the country’s military treaty with France was motivated by its growing irrelevance.
Several African states have also taken steps to remove France’s military and political dominance within their borders, owing mostly to increasing anti-colonial sentiments and displeasure with France’s role in regional affairs.
France has already evacuated soldiers from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
The departure from Chad brings to an end decades of French military engagement in the Sahel, as well as direct French operations against Islamist insurgents in the region.
