Chad cuts military ties with France

Chad has terminated its defence pact with France.

The move leaves the Sahel, a region once brimming with French troops, devoid of one.

Abderaman Koulamallah, Chadian foreign minister, said France remains “an essential partner” but said it “must now also consider that Chad has grown up, matured and is a sovereign state that is very jealous of its sovereignty”.

Koulamallah said it was time for his country to “assert its full sovereignty”.

The announcement was made in a statement on Thursday, hours after Jean-Noel Barrot, French foreign minister, met Chad’s President Mahamat Deby.

The statement said Chad intends to reshape its alliances in line with national priorities, but noted that the move would not undermine historical ties with France.

Until the decision, Chad was one of the remaining countries in the Sahel where France maintained a military presence.

Niger Republic, Mali, and Burkina Faso had since expelled French troops and turned to Russia for partnerships.

Before the presidential election in May, Chadian authorities ordered the withdrawal of US troops from the country, as Sahelian countries increasingly severed ties with traditional Western allies.

France currently has about 1,000 troops in the Central African country who provide intelligence and logistics support.

Koulamallah did not give a date for the withdrawal of French soldiers from the country.