France has begun withdrawing its military from Chad, with the first Mirage warplanes leaving the capital, N’Djamena, for their base in eastern France on Tuesday, according to the French army.
This marks the first step in the pullout, just two weeks after Chad’s government announced the abrupt termination of its defense cooperation pact with France.
The unexpected decision on November 28 caught French officials off guard. Chad, a long-time Western ally in the fight against Islamist militants in the Sahel, declared an end to the pact without prior consultation, signaling a significant shift in relations.
While the full details of the withdrawal are yet to be finalized, including whether any French troops will remain in Chad, the French military confirmed the process is underway. “It marks the beginning of the return of French equipment stationed in N’Djamena,” said Colonel Guillaume Vernet, a French army spokesperson.
This move comes amid a wave of anti-French sentiment and the withdrawal of French forces from other West African nations, including Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, following military coups in those countries.
France’s exit from Chad signifies the conclusion of decades of military presence in the Sahel, bringing to an end its direct operations against Islamist insurgents in the region. Approximately 1,000 French troops remain in Chad, and a timeline for their departure is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.
