France flew out the two Mirage fighter jets it had stationed in Chad on Tuesday, signalling the beginning of the withdrawal of its military forces from the former French colony in Central Africa that last month broke off its defense cooperation agreement with Paris.
The pair of Mirage 2000-D fighters took off after midday from a French base in the capital, N’Djamena, after Chadian military forces came to wish them farewell, and were returning to a French air force base in Nancy in eastern France, French military spokesman Col. Guillaume Vernet said.
He added that negotiations with Chadian authorities were continuing on how and when France might withdraw other members of its 1,000-strong force in Chad, and whether all or just some of them will leave.
In announcing the end of the defense cooperation agreement with France last month, the Chadian government described the decision as a historic turning point for the country that gained independence in 1960, and said that it would enable Chad to redefine its strategic partnerships in line with national priorities.
Chad was one of the last countries in the region in which France maintained a large military presence, having been ousted in recent years from Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso after years of fighting Islamic extremists alongside regional troops. Those countries have inched closer to Russia, which has mercenaries deployed across the Sahel, the vast expanse below the Sahara desert.
France has maintained about 1,000 troops in Chad. Chadian authorities didn’t specify when they have to leave and said the end of the defence agreement in no way calls into question the countries’ historical ties and that it wants to maintain relations in other areas of common interest.
Last week, hundreds of people marched in N’Djamena to call for the withdrawal of French troops, chanting “Chad for us, France out!” Some held banners that read, “We do not want to see a single French person in Chad.”