Chad cuts military agreement with France

The Central African nation cites "sovereignty" as it ends a years-long deal with its former colonial ruler.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatch LiveHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS ElectionUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersChad cuts military agreement with FranceAFPAround 1,000 French soldiers are currently based in ChadChad has said it is terminating a key defence cooperation agreement with France, raising questions about Paris’s waning influence in Africa's embattled Sahel region.

Chadian Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah said it was time for his country to "assert its full sovereignty".

The announcement came just hours after Koulamallah's French counterpart, Jean-Noel Barrot, met Chad's President Mahamat Deby.

Chad is a key partner in the West's fight against Islamist militants in the West African Sahel region.

But prior to the presidential election in May, Chad's authorities ordered the withdrawal of US troops from the country, signalling a distancing from the country's traditional Western allies.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7042v17kjqo

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