France lost one of its staunchest military allies in the volatile Sahel region of Africa this week as Chad ended its longstanding defense partnership with the country, the latest blow to French efforts to maintain sway on the continent it once colonized, reports The New York Times.
France has some 1,000 troops in Chad who will likely now have to leave. Analysts suggested that could further open the door to influence of the Russian military, already present in Chad’s neighbors.
The surprise decision was announced late Thursday by Chad’s foreign minister, Abderaman Koulamallah. “It is time for Chad to assert its sovereignty,” he said in a statement, calling the decision “a historic turning point.”
The move appeared to have surprised the French government. Late Friday a French foreign ministry spokesman said Chadian authorities had made known “their desire to see the security and defense partnership evolve” and that France had “taken note.”
Following the recent ejection of French troops and personnel from other former African colonies plagued by Islamist insurgencies — Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso — the decision by Chad ends what remained of France’s military influence in the troubled stretch of countries below the Sahara known as the Sahel.
Russian paramilitary forces of the Wagner Group — now controlled by the Russian defense ministry — are present in varying degrees in these countries as well as in Chad’s neighbor, the Central African Republic.
In a further shock for France, Senegal’s president told the news agency Agence France-Presse on Thursday that he, too, wants French troops to leave.