Chad: The French Army handed over its last military base

The French army announced, Thursday, that it had handed over to its Chadian counterpart the Koussi camp, which constitutes the last French military base in Chad, thus ending the French military presence in the country located in the Sahel region.

The Chadian Army General Staff considered in a statement on the occasion that the handover of the Koussi base puts a final end to the French presence in Chad, in accordance with the will of the highest authorities in the country.

Before withdrawing from this military base, French forces had withdrawn from the Faya-Largeau base in northern Chad on December 26, 2024, and then withdrew from the Abéché base on January 11.

This withdrawal comes after Chad announced the cancellation of the military cooperation agreement with France, which Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno considered outdated given the current political and geostrategic realities.

After the handover, the Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno expressed real and deep pride in the closure of the last French military base established in the heart of our capital, N’Djamena, 125 years ago, describing the event as “historic, exceptional and unprecedented”.

During his chairmanship in the Chadian capital of an official ceremony marking the end of the French military presence in the country, Deby considered that the matter embodies a powerful symbol, a new vision and a decisive commitment, and that it fulfills one of the most symbolic, legitimate and profound aspirations of the brave Chadian people.

Deby who was elected last May for a five-year term, explained that his country’s termination of military cooperation with France reflects a new trend stemming from our desire to determine our destiny and strengthen our independence, and opens the way for Chad to learn lessons from this old form of military cooperation.

Deby, who succeeded his father in power after his assassination in April 2021, stressed that the cooperation he seeks in order to rebuild Chad is to build new alliances based on mutual respect, without neglecting independence and sovereignty.

He pointed out that sovereignty doesn’t mean isolation in an interconnected world, and it must be expressed in cooperation, and that we have the ability to dialogue on an equal footing with other countries and participate actively in important decisions while preserving our identity and interests.

He added that Chad will remain open to dialogue with all its international partners, including France, while respecting the principles on which relations between states are based.

It’s worth noting that Senegal is currently negotiating the withdrawal of French forces from its territory by 2025, and French forces are also expected to withdraw from Côte d’Ivoire during the current year.

France had withdrawn its forces between 2022 and 2023 from four countries that were its former colonies, based on invitations issued by it, namely Niger, Mali, the Central African Republic, and Burkina Faso.