France flies two Mirage fighter jets from Chad to signal start of military withdrawal

PARIS (AP) — France flew the two Mirage fighter jets it had stationed in Chad on Tuesday, marking the start of the withdrawal of its forces from the former French colony in Central Africa, which last month broke its defense cooperation deal with Paris.

The pair of Mirage 2000-D fighters took off from a French base in the capital N’Djamena in the afternoon, after Chadian forces came to bid them farewell, and returned to a French air base in Nancy in eastern France. said military spokesman Colonel Guillaume Vernet.

He added that negotiations were ongoing with Chadian authorities over how and when France might withdraw other members of its 1,000-strong force in Chad, and whether all or just some would leave.

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, saying it would allow Chad to redefine its strategic partnerships in line with national standards. priorities.

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 below the Sahara.

France has retained about 1,000 troops in Chad. Chadian authorities did not specify when they would have to leave, saying the end of the defense deal in no way calls into question the countries’ historical ties and that they want 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 in for us, France out!” Some held banners that read: “We don’t want to see a single French person in Chad.”