Chad ends defense cooperation agreement with France, cites sovereignty

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
29 Nov 2024 05:49

Chad has officially terminated its 2019 defense cooperation agreement with France, aiming to assert its sovereignty and reassess strategic alliances after 66 years of independence.

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Chad's President General Mahamat Idriss Deby arrives for the 19th Francophonie Summit, at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP)

Chad has officially terminated its revised 2019 defense cooperation agreement with France, its former colonizer, as announced by the country's foreign ministry on Thursday.

The central African nation, which remained one of the two members of the Sahel G5 after Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger exited the alliance, stated that the move is aimed at strengthening its sovereignty and reassessing its strategic partnerships after 66 years of independence.

"In accordance with the terms of the agreement, Chad will adhere to the required procedures for termination, including necessary deadlines, and will work with French authorities to ensure a smooth transition," the statement read.

While this decision will lead to the withdrawal of French troops from Chad, the foreign ministry emphasized that it does not in any way question the broader relations between the two countries.

The French foreign ministry has yet to comment on the announcement.

75 Army Special Forces personnel to withdraw from Chad

Earlier, in April of this year, US officials have confirmed that 75 Army Special Operations personnel operation in Ndjamena, Chad’s capital, will be withdrawn by the Pentagon in response to the African governments’ demands.

Chad, alongside Niger which will also witness the withdrawal of around 1,000 troops, wants terms that would serve the hosts' interests.

The withdrawal decisions come eerily at a time when African nations are drawing closer to Russia.

The impending departure of the US military advisors from Chad, a sprawling desert nation at the crossroads of the continent, was prompted by a letter from the Chadian government this month that the United States saw as a threat to end an important security agreement with Washington.

In a letter sent to the US defense attaché last week, Chadian officials threatened to end the Status of Forces Agreement, or SOFA, which governs the rules and circumstances under which US military forces may operate in the nation. While the letter did not explicitly command the US military to leave Chad, authorities told CNN that it required all US personnel to depart the French facility in N'Djamena.

Two sources explained that the letter identified the US Special Operations Task Force (SOTF) at the site, which serves as a vital hub for US Special Operations Forces in the region. However, the task force is not the sole presence of US military troops at the site; all US service members in Chad are stationed in N'Djamena.