Chad's President Field Marshal Mahamat Idriss Deby says this week’s departure of the last French troops from the central African state signals a new dawn for Chad

President Mahamat Idriss Deby on Friday welcomed the "definitive and complete departure" of French forces from Chad which marks the end of France's last foothold in the wider jihadist-hit Sahel region.

French troops completed their withdrawal from Chad this week before a January 31 deadline, the latest blow to France’s shrinking military hold in its former West and Central Africa strongholds. N’Djamena abruptly cut ties with Paris in December and ended a military pact that saw 1,

French forces have withdrawn from Chad after 65 years, although France maintains that military cooperation will continue.

France has handed over its final military post in Chad to local authorities, two months after the former French colony in central Africa terminated its defense cooperation deal with Paris. Chad has been a vital counterterrorism force in the region, and it was one of the last nations in which France maintained a significant military presence.

The French army has handed over its last base in Chad in a military ceremony in the capital N'Djamena, marking the end of French military presence in the country. Once a key link in France's military presence in Africa,

The Central African nation announced the end of bilateral military pact with Paris last November - Anadolu Ajansı

The United States and France and some other Western countries stand accused of disrupting peace and security in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Protesters recently attacked the embassies of the U.S. and France in Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC. Several other foreign missions also came under attack on Tuesday.

Analysis - Niger has suspended its participation in the Multinational Joint Task Force, and Chad has threatened to withdraw.

France handed over its last military base in Chad to local authorities on Thursday, two months after the former French colony in central Africa broke off its defense cooperation agreement with Paris.

France officially ended its decades-long military presence in Chad, its last stronghold in the West African region. The shift is part of a larger movement to push France out of the area.

Chad’s authorities demanded that France withdraw all its troops from the country’s territory by January 31, 2025