(AFP) – France handed over a second military base in Chad on Saturday as part of an agreement with the country's authorities on the withdrawal of troops.
The central African country abruptly ended military cooperation with its former colonial ruler in late November, and French troops began withdrawing from the country in late December.
“Today… marks the handover of the Abeche base,” Defense Minister Ithaca Maroua Jamus said at the official ceremony.
He called this an important step “leading to the final and complete withdrawal of this force in our country.”
About 100 soldiers left the Abeche base on Saturday after an equipment convoy departed on Friday night.
The French army had approximately 1,000 troops stationed in Chad.
Jams added that the January 31 deadline for France to permanently remove its troops is “mandatory,” “irreversible” and “non-negotiable.”
Since independence in 1960, French soldiers and fighter jets have been stationed in Chad almost continuously, helping to train the Chadian military.
These aircraft also provided air support, which on several occasions played a key role in thwarting rebel groups attempting to seize power.
In mid-December, jets were the first to deploy, followed by a force of 120 soldiers, taking over the Faya base in northern Chad.
“The partnership will evolve, but the friendship between our countries will remain the same. And the unity between our two sovereign nations will continue to move forward, side by side, as always,” French Embassy Representative Fabien Talon said at the event. said.
The Central African country, one of the world's poorest countries, was the last Sahel nation to host French troops.
At one point, Paris was deploying more than 5,000 soldiers as part of the anti-jihadist Operation Barkhane.
Chad is a key link in France's military presence in Africa and was the last foothold in the wider Sahel region after a military coup forced the withdrawal of French troops from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
Military authorities in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have tilted toward Russia in recent years.
Chad's leader, General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, has also sought closer ties with Moscow in recent months, but talks to strengthen economic cooperation have yet to yield concrete results.
Mr Deby said the agreement was “totally outdated” and no longer consistent with “modern political and geopolitical realities”.
May's presidential election ended a three-year political transition sparked by the death of her father in 2021 clashes with rebel groups.
Long-time ruler Idriss Deby Itno received support from the French military to quell rebel attacks in 2008 and 2019.
