Hundreds of Chadians demonstrate for the "departure of France"

Hundreds of people demonstrated in Chad on Friday to demand the withdrawal of French troops from the country, a week after the central African country ended a military agreement with its former colonizer.

In the capital, N'Djamena, protesters chanted "Chad for us, France out" , some holding banners reading "We don't want to see a single Frenchman in Chad" .

Last week, Chad announced in a statement that it was ending a defense cooperation agreement with France in order to redefine its strategic partnerships based on national priorities. France has maintained about 1,000 troops in Chad, and the statement did not specify when they would leave.

Some protesters went to a military airbase where French soldiers are stationed on Friday and demanded their departure. Others gathered in front of the French embassy, ​​where they faced a heavy security cordon from the Chadian army protecting the embassy.

"We no longer want the French presence in Chad ," said former Minister of Public Health Dr. Hissein Massar. "This protest will end when the French leave Chad ," he added.

Chad was one of the last countries in the region where France maintained a significant military presence, having been ousted in recent years from Niger , Mali and Burkina Faso , after years of fighting Islamic extremists alongside regional troops. Those countries have grown closer to Russia , which has deployed mercenaries in the Sahel , the vast expanse beneath the Sahara Desert .

Chad's interim president, Mahamat Deby Itno , took power after his father, who ruled the country for more than three decades, was killed fighting rebels in 2021. Last year, the government announced it was extending the 18-month transition by two years, leading to nationwide protests.

Chad said the decision to end the agreement in no way called into question its historical ties with France and that it wanted to maintain relations in other areas of common interest.