France has officially ended its military presence in Chad, vacating its last remaining base in the capital, N’Djamena, a day before the deadline set by Chadian authorities.
The withdrawal from the Sergent Adji Kossei base marks the final phase of France’s departure from the Central African nation, the Chadian armed forces confirmed in a statement. This follows Chad’s decision in November to terminate its long-standing military cooperation agreement with France.
France began its troop withdrawal earlier this month, with around 100 soldiers leaving the Abeche base in eastern Chad on January 11. The Chadian government had given France six weeks to complete the full withdrawal of its remaining 1,000 troops and equipment, setting January 31 as the final deadline.
France’s military footprint in Africa has been shrinking as several countries, including Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, have expelled its forces in recent years. Senegal and Ivory Coast have also announced plans to phase out French military presence.
Despite these withdrawals, France still maintains troops in Djibouti and Gabon, where no immediate changes to military agreements have been signaled.