why is Chad breaking its military ties with France?

It is the last country in the Sahel to host French military forces. But for how much longer? Chad announced Thursday, November 28 that it was ending security and defense agreements with Paris. A thousand French soldiers will therefore have to leave the countrywith a notice period in the agreement signed in 1966 between the two countries.

The closing date of N'Djamena air basewhich houses the operational center of French forces in the Sahel, is not yet known. It is from this base that France directed Operation Barkhane between 2014 and 2022. After Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, it is therefore a new country in the Sahel which is added to the list of withdrawal of French troops.

Thursday, November 28, the Senegalese president declared that the presence of a French military base was incompatible with the national sovereignty of his country. France is therefore losing its influence in the region. The Chadian announcement is a snub for France, a few hours after the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot and when withdrawal was not on the agenda of the discussions.

From now on, only a few French soldiers remain present in Africa, Ivory Coast, Gabon and Djibouti, while at the same time, Russian influence is growing, with paramilitary forces present in several countries. A Russian-Chadian military partnership is also mentioned.

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