France Military Presence Ends in Chad as Last Base in Capital City Vacated
The Central African nation announced the end of bilateral military pact with Paris last November
France ended its military presence in Chad on Thursday, vacating its last base in the central African nation a day ahead of the deadline set by Chadian authorities.
The French military withdrew from the Sergent Adji Kossei base in the capital, N’Djamena, marking the final step in its departure, the Chadian armed forces said in an official statement. The base was the last of three under French control.
Chad’s Foreign Ministry announced in November that it was ending military cooperation with France, prompting Paris to begin withdrawing its troops. The bilateral agreement, originally signed in 1978 and revised in 2019, was formally denounced by the Chadian government last year.
Approximately 100 French troops left the Abeche base in eastern Chad on Jan. 11. The Chadian government then gave France six weeks to remove the remaining 1,000 soldiers and their equipment, setting a deadline of Jan. 31.
France’s military presence in Africa has been steadily declining in recent years, as several nations push out its forces. In addition to Chad, French troops have been expelled from Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
As of now, French troops remain in Djibouti and Gabon, two countries that have not signaled any changes to their agreements with Paris regarding military presence.
Senegal and Ivory Coast have also announced plans to remove French forces from their territories.
