France transfers its first military base to Chadian authorities as influence in Africa wanes

France on Thursday (26 December) officially handed over its first military base to Chad as part of an ongoing withdrawal of French forces from the central African country, which comes after N’Djamena abruptly ended military cooperation with its former colonial power last month.
Chad’s military chief of staff said the military base at Faya-Largeau in the country’s north had been handed over and that the public would be informed in due course about progress in the withdrawal of French forces from bases in the capital N’Djamena and the eastern city of Abeche. According to the French military chief of staff, “the handover took place in accordance with the calendar and the conditions agreed with Chad.” The French army had some 1,000 personnel and fighter aircraft almost continually stationed in Chad since the country’s independence in 1960, helping to train the Chadian military.
This move follows the Chadian government’s abrupt termination of military cooperation with Paris last month and a request last week, giving Paris just six weeks to withdraw its troops and their equipment from the country by 31 January. News magazine Jeune Afrique reported that the termination of the agreement was due to differing positions on the civil conflict in Sudan. After the forced withdrawal of French troops from military junta-ruled Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, Chad had remained the last key link in France’s military presence in the continent and its last foothold in the wider Sahel region.