Earth Science News
AFRICA NEWS
France hands over last base in Chad amid withdrawal
France hands over last base in Chad amid withdrawal
by AFP Staff Writers
N'Djamena (AFP) Jan 30, 2025

The French army has handed over its last base in Chad in a military ceremony in the capital N'Djamena, the general staffs of both countries announced Thursday.

The central African country in late November abruptly ended military cooperation with its former colonial ruler, and French troops began leaving the country in late December.

Thursday's handover of the Kossei base marks the end of France's military presence in the African country "according to the wishes of the high authorities" in N'Djamena, a statement from the Chadian high command said.

"The Kossei camp was handed over today to the Chadian army," said Colonel Guillaume Vernet, spokesman for the armed forces' general staff in Paris.

French troops withdrew from their Faya-Largeau base in the north of the country on December 26, and on January 11 pulled out of a second base at Abeche.

During the handover in Abeche, Chadian authorities declared that a January 31 deadline for the French withdrawal from the country was "non-negotiable".

President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, in power since 2021, said the cooperation agreements with France had become "completely obsolete" in light of "the political and geostrategic realities of our time".

Soldiers and fighter aircraft from France have been stationed in Chad almost continuously since the country's independence in 1960, helping to train the Chadian military.

The largely desert country had been a key link in France's military presence in Africa and its last foothold in the wider Sahel region after the forced withdrawal of French troops from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger in the wake of military coups.

The military authorities in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have pivoted towards Russia in recent years.

At its height, France's Sahel contingent numbered more than 5,000 troops as part of the anti-jihadist Operation Barkhane, which ended in November 2022.

French President Emmanuel Macron irked France's allies in a New Year's speech to diplomats, lamenting that African countries "forgot to say thank you" for France's decade-long deployment to fight an Islamist insurgency.

Senegal is also negotiating the withdrawal of French forces by the end of 2025. At the same time, Paris's military presence in the Ivory Coast and Gabon is being cut back, in line with a restructuring plan for France's presence in West and Central Africa.

A French base in Djibouti, which hosts 1,500 troops, is being developed as a launching pad for future missions in Africa following the forced withdrawal from the Sahel.

Related Links
Africa News - Resources, Health, Food

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
AFRICA NEWS
Sudan army breaks paramilitary siege on Khartoum HQ, reclaims oil refinery
Port Sudan, Sudan (AFP) Jan 24, 2025
The Sudanese army said Friday it broke a siege of its headquarters in Khartoum by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which had encircled it since war broke out in April 2023. In a statement, the army said troops in Bahri (Khartoum North) and Omdurman across the Nile River had "merged with our forces stationed at the General Command of the Armed Forces". A military source confirmed that "the arrival of the forces from Bahri completely lifted the siege on the command". The army added that ... read more

AFRICA NEWS
Revolutionary Irrigation System Unearthed in Amazon Linked to Neolithic Revolution

Bamboo farm gets chopping for US zoo's hungry new pandas

Climate change cooks up Japanese 'cabbage shock'

Pakistan drought dents winter harvest

AFRICA NEWS
Dead Sea an 'ecological disaster', but no one can agree how to fix it

Marshall Islands guards 'treasures' with new marine sanctuary

New Zealand reviews aid to Kiribati after diplomatic snub

Drinking water in many French cities contaminated: study

AFRICA NEWS
Climate activists appeal long UK jail terms for 'peaceful protest'

UN confirms US demand to withdrawal from Paris climate deal

Billionaire Bloomberg to fund UN climate body after US withdrawal

242 mn children's schooling disrupted by climate shocks in 2024: UNICEF

AFRICA NEWS
Finding better photovoltaic materials faster with AI

Scale-up fabrication of perovskite quantum dots

What to do with aging solar panels?

New Technique Tracks Dark Excitons for Future Solar Cells

AFRICA NEWS
Chemical looping turns environmental waste into fuel

For clean ammonia, MIT engineers propose going underground

From lab to field: CABBI pipeline delivers oil-rich sorghum

Breakthrough process converts CO2 and electricity into protein-rich food

AFRICA NEWS
Doomsday clock ticks one second, closest ever to midnight

ADB approves $500mn disaster financing for Philippines

US defense chief says military will keep aiding 'mass deportations'

Despite truce, Lebanese from devastated Naqura cannot go home

AFRICA NEWS
Clean hydrogen in minutes with microwave energy innovations

Development of a 2-liter ammonia fueled engine

Ukrainian drone barrage on Russia kills two, hits oil refinery

Trump moves to redesignate Houthi rebels as a Foreign Terrorist Organization

AFRICA NEWS
Facing Trump and China, EU unveils pro-business roadmap

Asian markets diverge in thin trade, with AI impact in focus

Trump commerce pick says favors broad tariffs, vows tough China stance

China manufacturing activity contracts for first time in four months

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.