N’DJAMENA, Chad (AP) — Hundreds of people marched in Chad on Friday to call for the withdrawal of French troops from the country, a week after the Central African country ended a military deal with its former colonial ruler.
Protesters in the capital N’Djamena chanted “Chad for us, France out!” with some banners saying: “We don’t want to see a single Frenchman in Chad.”
Last week, Chad announced in a statement that it would terminate a defense cooperation agreement with France to redefine its strategic partnerships in line with national priorities. France has kept about 1,000 troops in Chad, and the statement did not specify when they should leave.
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Some protesters went to a military airbase where French soldiers are stationed on Friday and called for their departure. Others gathered in front of the French embassy, where they faced a very strong security belt of the Chadian army guarding the embassy.
“We no longer want the French presence in Chad,” said former Health Minister Dr. Hissein Massar. “This protest will stop once the French leave Chad,” he added.
Chad was one of the last countries in the region where France maintained a large military presence, having been expelled from Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso in recent years following years of fighting Islamic extremists alongside regional forces. Those countries have moved closer to Russia, which has deployed mercenaries in the Sahel, the vast expanse beneath the Sahara.
Chad’s interim president, Mahamat Deby Itno, seized power after his father, who ruled the country for more than 30 years, was killed in the fight against rebels in 2021. Last year, the government announced that it would extend the eighteen-month transition period for another two years. which led to protests across the country.
Chad said the decision to terminate the agreement in no way calls into question its historic ties with France and that it wants to maintain relations in other areas of common interest.
