France begins military withdrawal from Chad
France has begun withdrawing its military presence from Chad, starting with the departure of two Mirage warplanes from N'Djamena to eastern France. This withdrawal follows Chad's unexpected announcement on November 28 to end its decades-long defense cooperation pact with France, marking another significant reduction in French military influence across Africa.
The move comes as France has already withdrawn forces from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger following military coups and growing anti-French sentiment in these former colonies. This latest withdrawal from Chad, which hosts approximately 1,000 French troops, will effectively end France's direct military operations against Islamist militants in the Sahel region.
Chad's decision appears to have caught Paris by surprise, despite a recent French envoy's report to President Macron suggesting reductions in military presence across Chad, Gabon, and Ivory Coast. Adding to France's diplomatic challenges, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has also requested the departure of French troops, citing sovereignty concerns.
Under the leadership of Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, who assumed power after his father's death in 2021, Chad has been pursuing new partnerships, particularly with the United Arab Emirates and Russia. This shift reflects a broader trend across the Sahel region, where several countries have expelled French diplomats, banned French media, and sought alternative international alignments.
While Chad's foreign minister has expressed interest in maintaining constructive relations with France in other areas, the complete withdrawal timeline is still being negotiated between the two countries and is expected to take several weeks to finalize.
