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.

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.