Paris' influence fades: French troops complete withdrawal from Chad’s Abéché base PHOTO

France has officially completed the withdrawal of its troops from the Abéché base in Chad, with soldiers departing after the heavy equipment left the day before.

According to Tchadinfo, the Chadian Armed Forces have now taken control of the base, Caliber.Az reports.

This move comes after Chad’s government announced on November 29, 2024, that it would terminate the defence agreement with France and ordered the withdrawal of all French military personnel by January 31, 2025. French fighter jets were the first to depart, followed by the first 120 troops from the contingent that had been stationed in Chad since its independence in 1960. At the time of the withdrawal, around 1,000 French troops were stationed at three bases in Chad — N'Djamena, Faya Larjo, and Abéché.

The decision to end military cooperation with France follows a growing dissatisfaction with France’s involvement in the region, with Chadian authorities, along with those of other former French colonies like Mali and Niger, accusing France of focusing more on maintaining its influence in the region than providing effective security assistance.

Chadian Prime Minister Allamay Khalina described the decision as “courageous and patriotic,” emphasizing that it was a step long awaited by the Chadian people.

The French withdrawal from Chad is part of a broader trend in West Africa, where French forces have been expelled from several countries, including Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, following increasing anti-French sentiment and a push for greater national sovereignty. The French exit marks a significant shift in the region’s security landscape and is widely viewed as a strategic loss for Paris.

According to Le Point magazine, the French withdrawal is seen as a symbol of its declining influence in Africa, citing foreign policy mistakes and the loss of effective means to maintain power in the region.

Until 2022, French forces were stationed in multiple African nations, including Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Gabon, Ivory Coast, and Senegal. The turning point came after the end of Operation Barkhane, a large-scale counterinsurgency mission launched by France in 2014 to fight Islamist militants in the Sahel region. The conclusion of the operation led to the severing of defence ties between France and several countries, including Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, accusing France of ineffectiveness in addressing security threats and interfering in domestic affairs.

In 2021, President Macron announced that French forces would begin their phased exit from the Sahel region. By August 2022, France had completed its withdrawal from Mali, followed by Burkina Faso in February 2023. The French military also left Niger in December 2023 after the country’s military government ordered their expulsion.

Chad’s recent decision to expel French forces marks a further step in the retreat of France’s military presence in West Africa.

By Tamilla Hasanova