France has started withdrawing its military forces from Chad, with two Mirage fighter jets departing from the capital, N’Djamena. This follows Chad’s announcement on November 28 that it was ending its defense cooperation agreement with Paris.
The French military confirmed the departure of the warplanes, marking the first phase of the withdrawal. Colonel Guillaume Vernet, a spokesperson for the French army, stated that the return of the jets to France marked the beginning of the process to remove French military equipment from Chad.
Chad’s decision to end the cooperation agreement comes after years of France’s military presence in the region, where French forces have been involved in operations against Islamist militants. France had already begun pulling troops out of other West African countries, including Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, following military coups and rising anti-French sentiment.
Currently, about 1,000 French troops remain in Chad, and the two nations are still negotiating the full terms and timeline of the withdrawal. Chad’s Army spokesman, Chanane Issakha Acheikh, confirmed the departure of the warplanes and assured the public that updates on the withdrawal would continue until all French forces have left the country.
