Chad: 120 French soldiers leave as part of the process of withdrawing its forces after the suspension of the military agreement
The Chadian Ministry of Defense announced that a French unit including 120 soldiers had left Chadian territory; As part of the process of withdrawal of French soldiers from Chad, three weeks after the sudden announcement of the suspension of the military agreement between Paris and N’Djamena.
The “Chadian Defense” said: – In today’s statement – an Airbus A330 Phoenix aircraft… It took off from N’Djamena Military Airport towards France last Friday afternoon, carrying 120 French soldiers, in the presence of Chadian military officials. This demonstrates “the strength of military cooperation between the two countries in the field of security.” Le Monde newspaper reported: The French Ministry of the Armed Forces did not issue any comment on this statement, adding that the number of French military personnel in Chad is approximately one thousand individuals, indicating that the withdrawal of French soldiers comes about 10 days after the French fighters left the territory of Chad. The Chadian Ministry of Defense confirmed – in its statement – “Tons of French military equipment, carefully stored at N’Djamena Military Airport, will be transported by Antonov 124 aircraft in the coming days.” The statement quoted a French army official as saying: “Military vehicles deported from the French bases in Faya-Largo, Abéché and N’Djamena will also be returned to France via the (Cameroonian) port of Douala, no later than next January. The sea journey will take about three weeks.” It is worth noting that French forces and combat aircraft have been stationed in Chad almost continuously since the country’s independence in 1960, as French forces served in training the Chadian army, while the fighters provided air support that proved necessary on several occasions to stop the rebels seeking to seize power.
French army personnel are present in three places in Chad – most of them in the Kosi camp in N’Djamena. France had planned to reduce its forces as part of restructuring its military presence on the African continent.
France was actually forced to evacuate its forces from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger in 2022 and 2023, after the military juntas of those countries came to power. Senegal also expressed its desire to close French military bases on its territory.
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