France ends military presence in Chad as last base handed over
The French army has handed over its last base in Chad in a military ceremony in the capital N'Djamena, the general staffs of both countries announced Thursday.
The central African country in late November abruptly ended military cooperation with its former colonial ruler, and French troops began leaving the country in late December.
Thursday's handover of the Kossei base marks the end of France's military presence in the African country "according to the wishes of the high authorities" in N'Djamena, a statement from the Chadian high command said.
"The Kossei camp was handed over today to the Chadian army," said Colonel Guillaume Vernet, spokesman for the armed forces' general staff in Paris.
French troops withdrew from their Faya-Largeau base in the north of the country on December 26, and on January 11 pulled out of a second base at Abeche.
During the handover in Abeche, Chadian authorities declared that a January 31 deadline for the French withdrawal from the country was "non-negotiable".
President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, in power since 2021, said the cooperation agreements with France had become "completely obsolete" in light of "the political and geostrategic realities of our time".
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