The last French soldiers have left Chadian soil

On the morning of Thursday January 30, the French flag was lowered and the key to the Adji Kosseï base in Ndjamena returned to the Chadian military authorities.

The transfer protocols were signed by General Daoud, Chief of the Armed Forces General Staff, and General Pascal Ianni, head of the French Army’s Africa Command.

The last and largest of the three French military bases has just been handed back to the Chadians.

The last 180 French military personnel have packed up, and this handover definitively ends the presence of the French Forces in Chad, in accordance with the wishes of the highest Chadian authorities, says the army’s communications director.

Since the publication on November 28, 2024 of a declaration terminating the defense agreement signed with Paris in 1976, everything has moved quickly.

The two military bases at Faya-Largeau and Abéché were handed over on December 26 and January 11 respectively, following the departure of Mirage 2000 fighter jets in early December.

Although the military agreement between the two armies has now been terminated, this does not rule out other forms of military cooperation, particularly in terms of training and combat support, with occasional missions.

Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby had announced a reorientation of cooperation with France in the interests of the Chadian people.