Deby's decision to end the pact with France could force all French troops to leave after being stationed there over six decades since the country became independent. Chad ordered out the small contingent of U.S. forces based there this year.

Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby has said his decision to end cooperation agreements with the French military is part of a promise he made during his inauguration in May, 2024. In a televised address,

Deby stated that the agreement no longer served Chad's security or geopolitical interests. Despite over a decade of fighting a jihadist insurgency, support from French and U.S. troops has not succeeded in stabilizing the country.

The decision by Chad is another blow to what remained of France’s military influence in the troubled stretch of countries below the Sahara, where Russia’s influence has been growing.

The decision represents growing anti-French sentiment in Chad and the Sahel region, where France has been effectively expelled from several former colonies.View on euronews

Chad, a former African colony of France, has for decades been central to its military operations in Africa, but it is developing closer ties to Russia amid the NATO war with Russia in Ukraine.

Chad's government said on Thursday it has ended its defence cooperation pact with France, a move that could see French troops leave the Central African country.

Chad’s government says it is ending a defense cooperation agreement with France, its former colonial ruler, to redefine the nation's sovereignty.