President Mahamat Idriss Deby on Friday acknowledged the “final and total departure” of French troops from Chad, signifying the conclusion of France’s last presence in the broader jihadist-affected Sahel region.
After a private military event the previous day, Deby spoke to Chadian forces and diplomats during a gathering in the capital, N’Djamena.
“We are not breaking off our relationship with France but we are ending the military dimension of this cooperation,” Deby said at the base where only the Chadian flag was now flying.
The transfer of the Kossei base, which was the last French military facility in the central African nation, happened after Chad’s unexpected cessation of military cooperation with its former colonial power at the end of November.
French soldiers and aircraft have been present in Chad nearly continuously since the nation gained independence in 1960, supporting the training of the Chadian military.
The predominantly desert nation had been a crucial element in France’s military engagement in Africa and its last stronghold in the larger Sahel region following the compelled exit of French forces from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger after military coups.
Senegal is in discussions to complete the withdrawal of French troops by the end of this year, while France’s military presence in the Ivory Coast and Gabon is being scaled back.
A French base in Djibouti, accommodating 1,500 personnel, is being enhanced to serve as a launch point for upcoming missions in Africa.
