France and Chad turn a new page in their relations after a year of tension
French President Emmanuel Macron and Chadian President Mohamed Idriss Deby Itno reiterated their ambition to establish a renewed partnership on the basis of mutual respect and common interests, especially in the economic field, more than a year after Franco-Chadian relations were strained, following Chad’s withdrawal from a defense agreement that had bound the two countries for decades.
According to a joint statement issued after talks held by the two sides on Thursday at the Elysee Palace in Paris, the two presidents adopted a set of directions that will form the organizing thread for the revitalization of the Franco-Chadian partnership in areas of common interest between the two countries.
He pointed out that the talks between France and Chad will continue in order to ensure the implementation and follow-up of the mutual commitments that have been sovereignly pledged in this framework.
“It’s our responsibility to preserve the gains, draw lessons from the past, and crystallize new ambitions in line with the aspirations and interests of our two peoples,” Déby said in a statement issued by the Chadian presidency.
For his part, the Elysee Palace pointed out that the perspective is no longer security, but has become focused on the dynamics of investment and cultural exchange.
The two presidents reviewed various aspects of the bilateral relationship and exchanged views on regional issues, particularly the Sudan, urging the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to implement the humanitarian truce proposed by the Quartet (a mediation group that includes the United States, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates).
The two presidents called for the creation of an international environment conducive to reaching a solution to the conflict, in a way that preserves the unity of the country (Sudan) and its territorial integrity.
Chad, which shares a border with Sudan that exceeds 1,300 kilometers, denounced what it described as a violation of its territorial integrity following the killing of two of its soldiers in late December, and then renewed its condemnation after seven others were killed in an incursion by the Rapid Support Forces in mid-January.
The Central African country abruptly ended its military cooperation with France, and in December 2024 French soldiers began leaving the country, which has traditionally been one of France’s bastions of influence in the Sahel region.
