(Bloomberg) -- Chad canceled an agreement that allows French troops to operate in the central African nation, one of the few remaining countries that western military forces have used to fight Islamist insurgents in the Sahel region.
The announcement by Chad’s military government follows decisions by the juntas of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso to sever security ties with western Allies including France and the US after the ouster of their civilian rulers in recent years. In turn, they’ve boosted ties with nations including Russia, Iran and Turkey, though the security situation has deteriorated further — with thousands killed each year and many more displaced.
It’s time for Chad to “redefine its strategic partnerships in line with its national interests,” government spokesman Abderaman Koulamallah said in a statement on Thursday announcing the rupture of the defense agreement with France. In April, Chad asked the US to withdraw its troops from an army base in the capital, N’Djamena.
The statement on Thursday coincided with the president of Senegal — another key security partner to France — signaling that Paris will soon have to close its military bases in the West African country.
“Senegal is an independent country, it’s a sovereign country and sovereignty doesn’t accommodate the presence of military bases,” Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye said in an interview with Agence France-Presse.
Ongoing Islamist insurgencies in West Africa have left thousands of people dead and displaced hundreds of thousands more. With a record of more than 11,600 fatalities linked to jihadist violence in 2023, the Sahel is now the epicenter for terrorist attacks globally.
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