While France's military presence in African countries has decreased in recent years, the Chadian government announced that it has canceled the cooperation agreement with the Paris government in the fields of security and defense industry.
In a statement by the French Foreign Ministry, it was stated that this decision was noted, it is planned to continue the dialogue with Chad.
In the statement, it was also noted that France has been in dialogue and consultation with its partners to restructure its military capacity in Africa for two years, and said, "In this context, a close dialogue is maintained with the Chadian authorities. The Chadian authorities stated that they would like to see a change in cooperation in the field of security and defense in the statement of the Chadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on November 29."
African countries want a change in their military ties with their former colonizer FranceIn a written statement made yesterday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chad, "The Government of the Republic of Chad informs the national and international community of its decision to cancel the cooperation agreement signed with the French Republic and amended on September 5, 2019, which aims to strengthen cooperation in the field of defense industry and security."
Noting that this decision was a historical turning point, the statement underlined that 66 years after Chad's independence, it was time for it to declare its full sovereignty and redefine its strategic partnerships in line with national priorities.
It was noteworthy that the decision was taken a day after French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot visited the country and met with President Mohamed Idris Deby Itno.
On the other hand, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, in an exclusive interview with Le Monde newspaper this week, said of the permanent French military base in his country, "It is perfectly normal that we do not accept foreign military elements on our territory."
Source: AA