Chad’s gov’t breaks off defense cooperation agreement with France

Chad’s government is terminating a defense cooperation agreement with France, its former colonial ruler, with its top diplomat saying his country has “grown up” and now wants to fully assert its sovereignty.
As Sahel nations, from Niger to Mali to Burkina Faso, have ousted French soldiers from their territories and moved closer to Russia, Chad — an important Western ally in the fight against Islamic militants in the region — remained one of the last countries in the region in which France maintained a large military presence. But now the Central African nation wants to fully assert its sovereignty and redefine its strategic partnerships in line with national priorities, foreign minister Abderaman Koulamallah said in a statement on Thursday (28 November). In what marks a historic turning point after six decades after Chad gained independence from France, the decision to end the defense agreement with Paris means that French soldiers will be required to leave the Central African country’s territory.
The announcement was made just hours after a visit by French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot to N’Djamena. Announcing the move by the Chadian government, Koulamallah called France “an essential partner” but said it “must now also consider that Chad has grown up, matured and is a sovereign state that is very jealous of its sovereignty”. France has maintained about 1,000 troops in Chad, but the statement didn’t specify when they have to leave. Analysts say Chad’s interim president, Mahamat Deby Itno, has mistrusted France for a while, and the latest decision creates an opportunity for other nations, notably Russia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates to fill the void and exert their influence in the Central African country. According to Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Mali, “Deby has been seeking to diversify its security partnerships away from exclusive deals. He doesn’t trust Macron [and] he can also not ignore widespread anti-French sentiment.”