France began withdrawing its troops from Chad

Published at: 10/12/2024 08:42 PM

Less than two weeks after Chad announced its determination to break the cooperation agreement with France on defense matters, Paris has begun to withdraw its troops from the African country with the departure of two combat planes, Reuters reports, in a review published by Russia Today on its website.

“This marks the beginning of the repatriation of French equipment stationed in N'Djamena,” said French Army spokesman Colonel Guillaume Vernet.

For its part, AP specifies that two Mirage 2000D fighters took off after noon this Tuesday (local time) from the French base in the Chadian capital, N'Djamena, and returned to Nancy, in eastern France.

The agency adds that as of today the details of the withdrawal of French troops are not fully agreed and it is not yet known if Paris will withdraw all of its 1,000 troops from the African country, or if some could stay.

Previously, the Chadian Foreign Ministry announced that it will cooperate with the French authorities to “ensure a harmonious transition”, provided for by the bilateral agreement in the event of a rupture, and thanked Paris for its cooperation during its validity.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chad announced on November 28 “its decision to end the defense cooperation agreement signed with the Republic of France and revised on September 5, 2019, aimed at strengthening security and defense cooperation between the two nations”.

The Ministry announced that the decision was taken after “an in-depth analysis” and stressed that “66 years after the proclamation of the Republic of Chad, the time has come for this country to assert its full sovereignty and redefine its strategic partnerships based on national priorities”.

On the same day, the president of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, also stated that France should close all its military bases in his country and stressed that they are incompatible with national sovereignty.

“Senegal is an independent country, it is a sovereign country and sovereignty does not accept the presence of military bases in a sovereign country,” he said.

Mazo News Team