France begins troop withdrawal from Chad after military cooperation treaty breaks down

France has started to withdraw its army units from Chad after breaking an agreement on military cooperation with the authorities of the African country. This was reported by Reuters on December 10.

As part of the first stage, Mirage fighter jets headed from the Chadian capital N'Djamena to the basing area in eastern France.

According to the French side, the exact terms of the withdrawal have not yet been agreed. About 1,000 servicemen of the French Armed Forces remain on the territory of Chad, and a complete cessation of their activities will take several weeks.

The decision of the Chadian authorities to break the agreement with France was unexpected for Paris and marks the end of decades of French military presence in the Sahel region, journalists noted.

Earlier on November 28, Chad's foreign ministry said the republic was terminating a revised 2019 defense cooperation agreement with France. The statement said Chad wants to fully assert its sovereignty and renegotiate strategic partnerships after 66 years of independence.