France begins withdrawal of its troops from the African country of Chad

The French government has begun the process of withdrawing its military forces from Chad following the termination of the defence pact between the two countries. The first Mirage fighter jets have already returned to their base in France, marking the beginning of the end of France's longstanding military presence in the Sahel region.

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Chad, a key ally of the West in the fight against Islamists, unexpectedly terminated a defence agreement on 28 November. The final schedule for the withdrawal of French troops is still being agreed upon, although about a thousand troops remain in the country.

"This marks the beginning of the return of French equipment deployed in N'Djamena," French army spokesman Colonel Guillaume Vernet said after the fighter jets were sent.

France has already withdrawn its forces from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger due to military coups and growing anti-French sentiment. The completion of the mission in Chad will be the final stage of French military operations in the region.

Chadian army spokesman Chanan Issacha Acheikh confirmed the departure of the French planes and said that the public would be informed of further steps to withdraw troops.

As a reminder, in September Hungary announced its intention to deploy its contingent in Chad to support efforts to curb migration to Europe. About 200 Hungarian troops will work to stabilise the situation in the country.

Source: Reuters