Chad Launches Commission to End Military Pact With France

Chad, the last remaining country in the Sahel to play host French troops, has set up a special commission to oversee the dismantling of the military agreement between Paris and N’Djamena.

The commission, chaired by Chad’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Abderaman Koulamallah, will be tasked with “officially notifying the French authorities of the denunciation of the military cooperation agreement … through diplomatic channels,” according to a decree signed by the country’s Prime Minister Allamaye Halina.

The commission’s initial responsibility will be to officially notify the French authorities of the termination of the military agreement, including the convention that governs the presence of French troops on Chadian soil.

Following this, the body will draw up a plan for the cessation of obligations under the agreement; address the legal, security and logistical aspects of the termination, and coordinate with France for an orderly withdrawal of troops stationed at three bases, along with their equipment.

Although no final date for withdrawal has been set, the agreement states that the deadline for termination is six months from notification.

Among the commission’s 21 members are several ministers, including those responsible for the armed forces and territorial administration, as well as other key officials from the presidency and the prime minister’s office. It also includes the head of Chad’s intelligence services.

Shock announcement

Chad announced its decision to terminate the security and defence agreements that have linked it with France since the end of the colonial era on 28 November – mere hours after a visit by France’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Jean-Noël Barrot.

The declaration caught Paris off guard, but Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Déby was quick to emphasise that the decision “in no way constitutes a rejection of international cooperation or a calling into question of our diplomatic relations with France,” adding that it was not a question of “replacing one power with another”.

Chad – the last country in the Sahel to host French forces – is currently home to around 1,000 French troops at bases in Ndjamena, Abéché, and Faya-Largeau.

Collapse of French influence

Still in political transition since the coup that brought General Déby to power in 2020, and a disputed presidential election last April, Chad is also currently under attack from the jihadist group Boko Haram in the north-west. The country has also received an influx of refugees from neighbouring Sudan, and is mopping up the damage caused by an unprecedented rainy season that has displaced more than 2 million people.

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The end of military cooperation with France comes after the forced withdrawal of French troops from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

Meanwhile, Senegal’s new president Bassirou Diomaye Fayé has shared his desire to close French bases in his country.

On Wednesday, Koulamallah was in Bangui to inform the Central African Republic authorities of the postponement of Déby’s planned visit, which had been scheduled for today and tomorrow. The reason for this postponement were not specified, but several sources indicated to RFI it was related to the implications of Déby’s decision to end military cooperation with France.

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