France hands over its first base in Chad during its withdrawal from its former colony Military news

Last month, Chad ended its military cooperation with its former colonial power, and French forces began leaving the country last week.

France handed over its first military base as part of the withdrawal of its military forces from Chad, as announced by the French and Chadian armies.

The Chadian army chief of staff said on Thursday that the base in Faya Largo in the north of the country had been handed over and that the army would inform the public of progress made regarding the withdrawal of French forces from the bases in the city of Abéché in the east of the country and the capital. , N’Djamena.

The Chadian army said that French forces had left in vehicles for N’Djamena, 780 kilometers to the south, without providing a specific number. The French army had about 1,000 soldiers in the country.

The French Army Chief of Staff said separately: “The delivery took place according to the schedule and conditions agreed upon with Chad.”

Chad last month He ended military cooperation With the former colonial power, French troops began leaving the country on Friday, 10 days after French warplanes departed.

This move comes as Chad prepares to hold parliamentary and local elections on Sunday.

The Chadian army said that an Antonov 124 plane took off on Thursday, carrying 70 tons of cargo as part of the withdrawal.

French authorities said the military vehicles would leave by January and return home via the Cameroonian port of Douala.

Chad was a major link in the French military presence in Africa and its last foothold in the broader Sahel region after the withdrawal of French forces from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger following a series of military coups.

Military authorities in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have turned towards Russia in recent years.

Chad, a landlocked country, borders the Central African Republic, Sudan, Libya and Niger, all of which host paramilitary forces from Russia’s Africa Corps, which has taken over African force operations. Wagner mercenary group On the continent.

Chadian leader General Mohamed Idriss Déby Itno has also sought closer ties with Moscow in recent months, but talks aimed at boosting economic cooperation have yet to produce tangible results.

French soldiers and fighter aircraft have been stationed in Chad almost continuously since the country’s independence in 1960. They have helped train the Chadian army.

Aircraft provided air support which proved important on several occasions in preventing the rebels from moving to seize power.

Déby’s election last May put an end to a three-year political transition after his father died fighting with rebels in 2021.

The country’s governor, Idriss Deby, received support from the French army to suppress rebel attacks in 2008 and 2019.