Chad demands withdrawal of French troops from country by January 31
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The Government of Chad requests that France withdraw its troops from the country by January 31, according to French radio RFI.
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A file photo shows a Mirage 2000 aircraft of the French Air Force, taking off from the airbase in N’Djamena, undated. (AFP)
Chadian authorities, who ended military cooperation with France in late November, have ordered French troops to depart by January 31, according to French radio station RFI, which cited sources in Paris and N'Djamena.
The French government was notified of the deadline on Thursday evening, with sources indicating that the original plan for a troop withdrawal by March was deemed too prolonged and rejected.
A military source in France told RFI that it would be impossible to withdraw all troops and military equipment within seven weeks.
On the other hand, a Chadian source stated that it would be preferable for French forces to leave before the end of February, ideally before the start of the holy month of Ramadan.
On December 10, the French military confirmed the departure of two Mirage 2000D fighter jets from Chad, following the country's demand for the withdrawal of French forces. The third fighter jet is expected to return to France in the coming days.
On November 28, the Chadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared the end of defense cooperation with France. In an interview with Le Monde, Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah stated that France should withdraw its military forces from Chad.
According to the Jeune Afrique news magazine, citing sources, the termination of the agreement was due to differing positions on the civil conflict in Sudan. Additionally, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye stated that the presence of French military bases in Senegal was incompatible with the country’s sovereignty and called for their removal.
The French military, which was deployed in Africa's Sahel region since 2014 as part of the "anti-terrorism Operation Barkhane" was forced to leave Mali. In November 2022, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the end of Operation Barkhane. A year later, France withdrew its troops from Burkina Faso and Niger at the request of the countries' authorities.
