N’Djamena (Agencies): France has begun withdrawing its military presence from Chad, its former colony, as two French Mirage fighter jets departed the Chadian capital, N’Djamena, on Tuesday. The jets returned to their base in eastern France, signaling a broader reduction of Paris’ military footprint in the Sahel region.
Colonel Guillaume Vernet, a spokesman for the French military, described the departure of the jets as “the beginning of the return of French equipment stationed in N’Djamena.” While France still has more fighter jets and approximately 1,000 soldiers stationed in Chad, the move marks the start of a significant military drawdown.
Chad, a former French colony that gained independence in 1960, has maintained military and financial ties with Paris for decades. French troops have been stationed in Chad since the 1980s, with N’Djamena serving as a key base for France’s counterterrorism operations in the Sahel region. However, the conclusion of France’s anti-terrorism mission, Operation Barkhane, in 2022, and growing dissatisfaction with French military efforts in the region have prompted several Sahel countries to end military cooperation with Paris.
In November, Chad announced the termination of its defense cooperation agreement with France, following the lead of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger — all of which are now ruled by military governments following recent coups. In response to France’s withdrawal, these nations have sought closer ties with Russia, shifting the geopolitical balance in the region. Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have invited Russian military support, with the Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary organization, reportedly playing an active role in their security operations.
Chad appears to be following a similar path. In June, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Chad to discuss trade, economic cooperation, and strategic partnerships. The visit followed a January meeting in Moscow between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby, further signaling Chad’s interest in diversifying its security and economic partnerships away from France.
While the exact timeline for France’s complete withdrawal from Chad remains uncertain, Colonel Vernet stated that a schedule for the drawdown would be finalized in the coming weeks. It is also unclear whether any of the 1,000-strong French contingent will remain in N’Djamena after the process is complete.
France’s retreat from Chad mirrors a broader shift in its military strategy across West Africa. Paris has announced reductions in its troop presence in Gabon, Ivory Coast, and Senegal. In a recent interview with Le Monde, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye stated, “There will soon be no more French troops in Senegal,” as the number of French soldiers in the country is set to decrease from 350 to 100. Similar withdrawals are also underway in Gabon and Ivory Coast.
The departure of French troops from Chad represents a significant shift in the region’s power dynamics. France’s military presence in Africa, once seen as a cornerstone of its post-colonial influence, is rapidly shrinking, while Russia’s engagement in the region appears to be growing. For Chad and its neighbors, this transition could have lasting implications for security, stability, and foreign alliances in the Sahel.