DAKAR, Senegal — The government of Chad has announced its intention to terminate a defense cooperation agreement with France, aiming to reassert the nation’s independence from its former colonial power.
This pivotal decision represents a significant step for Chad as it seeks to redefine its strategic alliances over sixty years after gaining independence, according to a statement made Thursday by foreign ministry spokesperson Abderaman Koulamallah.

The announcement emphasized that ending this agreement would enable Chad to align its partnerships more closely with its national interests.
As of now, there has been no reaction from the French government regarding this development.

Historically, Chad had been among the few nations in the region where France maintained a substantial military footprint. However, in recent years, France has faced challenges in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, where its forces have been expelled following prolonged engagements against Islamic extremist groups alongside local troops.
These neighboring nations have increasingly shifted their allegiances toward Russia, which has rolled out mercenary operations across the Sahel region—an area situated just south of the Sahara Desert.

Mahamat Deby Itno, Chad’s interim president, came to power in 2021 after the death of his father, who had ruled for over thirty years before being killed in a conflict with rebels.
In the past year, the interim government extended its planned 18-month transition period by an additional two years, a decision that sparked protests nationwide.

Experts suggest that Deby has been wary of France for some time, and this latest decision opens the door to expanding partnerships with other nations, particularly Russia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.
Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Mali, noted, “Deby has been looking to broaden its security agreements beyond exclusive deals. He harbors distrust towards Macron and cannot overlook the growing anti-French sentiment among the populace.”

Currently, there are approximately 1,000 French troops stationed in the region, but the Chadian statement did not mention the timeline for their withdrawal.
Despite this shift, Chad sought to clarify that this decision does not undermine the historical ties between the two countries and expressed an intention to maintain collaboration in areas of mutual concern.