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Sheikh Qassem: Our supporters make up more than half of Lebanon's population, and all of these people are united under the banner of protecting Lebanon, its Resistance, its people, and its integrity.
Sheikh Qassem: There will be no phased handing in of our arms. [The Israelis] must first enact the agreement before we start talking about a defensive strategy.
Sheikh Qassem: Be brave in the face of foreign pressures, and we will be by your side in this stance.
Sheikh Qassem: Stripping us of our arms is like stripping us of our very soul, and this will prompt us to show them our might.
Sheikh Qassem: We will not abandon our arms, for they gave us dignity; we will not abandon our arms, for they protect us against our enemy.
Sheikh Qassem: The US efforts we are seeing are aimed at sabotaging Lebanon and constitute a call for sedition.
Sheikh Qassem: If you truly want to establish sovereignty and work for Lebanon’s interests, then stop the aggression.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States, which is meddling in Lebanon, is not trustworthy but rather poses a danger to it.
Sheikh Qassem: The United States is preventing the weapons that protect the homeland.
Sheikh Qassem: The government’s latest decision [on the disarmament of the Resistance] is non-charter-based, and if the government continues down this path, it is not faithful to Lebanon’s sovereignty.

France hands over first military base in Chad amid withdrawal

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 27 Dec 2024 14:06
  • 1 Shares
3 Min Read

The move follows Chad's abrupt decision to end military cooperation with its former colonial ruler France last month.

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  • A mirage 2000 aircraft of the French Air Force takes off from an airbase in Chad, on December 22, 2018. (AFP)
    A Mirage 2000 aircraft of the French Air Force takes off from an airbase in Chad, on December 22, 2018. (AFP)

France has officially handed over its first military base in Chad, a former French colony, as part of the ongoing withdrawal of its forces from the country, both the French and Chadian military announced on Thursday.

Chad's military chief of staff confirmed that the base, located in Faya-Largeau in northern Chad, has been transferred, with plans for further updates regarding the withdrawal from other French positions in Abeche and the capital N'Djamena.

It added that the French troops had departed the base in vehicles headed for N'Djamena, approximately 780 kilometers (480 miles) to the South, though the exact number of soldiers was not disclosed.

"The handover took place in accordance with the calendar and the conditions agreed with Chad," the French military chief of staff said separately.

The big picture

The move follows Chad's abrupt decision to end military cooperation with France last month, and French forces began leaving on Friday, ten days after the departure of French warplanes. The pullout comes just ahead of parliamentary and local elections in Chad, scheduled for Sunday.

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The French military had approximately 1,000 personnel stationed in Chad.

In addition, an Antonov 124 cargo plane took off on Thursday, carrying 70 tons of material as part of the ongoing withdrawal.

French officials have stated that military vehicles will be repatriated by January via the Cameroonian port of Douala.

Chad has been a critical component of France's military presence in Africa, serving as its last remaining stronghold in the Sahel region following the forced pullout of French troops from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, after a series of military coups in those countries.

The military leadership in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have increasingly aligned with Russia in recent years.

Chad’s leader, General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, has also pursued closer ties with Moscow, although efforts to strengthen economic relations have yet to yield significant results.

French forces have had a continuous presence in Chad since the country's independence in 1960, providing crucial support in military training and air operations, often intervening to stop rebels from seizing power.

The election of Deby in May ended a three-year political transition triggered by his father's death in 2021, which followed clashes with rebels. Idriss Deby Itno had long relied on French military funds to suppress rebel offensives in 2008 and 2019.

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