Chad’s President Mahamat Deby said the decision to terminate the country’s military agreement with France was taken because it had become outdated. Deby disclosed this in his first public remarks since the surprise announcement last week.
In a speech, Deby said the pact no longer aligned with Chad’s security or geopolitical needs.
Chad has struggled with a jihadist insurgency for over a decade, and backing by French and U.S. troops has failed to bring stability.
Deby said the rupture is part of the country’s will to build a Chadian army that is more autonomous, more committed, and more responsible in the defence of the homeland.
Until recently, the West had considered Chad an important ally in the fight against jihadists in the Sahel. Groups linked to Boko Haram and Islamic State are active in the country’s Lake Chad region on its southwestern border.
In October, around 40 soldiers were killed in a brazen attack on a military base, after which Deby threatened to withdraw the Central African country from a multinational security force made up of countries that border Lake Chad.
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.
