Chad says military cooperation agreement with France ‘obsolete’

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) - Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Deby, whose government recently ended military cooperation with France, on Sunday painted the accord as old and outdated in the face of the country’s current challenges.

The Foreign Ministry announced that the government had terminated a military cooperation agreement with France aimed at strengthening cooperation in security and defense between the two nations last Thursday.

The country currently hosts roughly 1,000 French soldiers.

Deby said the agreement, revised in September 2019, was signed in a different historical context and no longer meets Chad's current needs, particularly in the fight against terrorism and the protection of territorial integrity.

“This agreement has become obsolete. It does not bring us any real added value,” he told a press conference in the capital N'Djamena.

Unlike other Sahel nations looking towards Russia for military cooperation after breaking off such cooperation with France, Deby said the country has no intention to welcome other foreign troops.

“Our defense and security forces have proven their ability to defend the country and contribute to regional stability, and they are ready to fully assume their responsibilities,” he said, adding the decision is a “sovereign act carefully thought out.”

The decision does not call into question bilateral relations between Chad and France, as it only concerns the military cooperation agreement in its current configuration, according to the president.

Last Friday, the French Foreign Ministry said it had "taken note" of Chad’s decision to end the agreement with Paris.

Chad joins other Sahel nations ruled by military leaders including Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso in ending security and defense partnerships with their former colonial masters.

Senegal, which has some 350 French soldiers, also seeks to end the presence of French troops, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye told French media last week.