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French Presence in Chad: Focused on 'Other Objectives' Rather Than Security, Says African Journalist

17:35, 3 December 2024

Christina Glazkova

Writer / Editor

Last Thursday, the Chadian government announced its decision to end the 1976 security agreement with France, which was updated in 2019 and focused on enhancing security and defense cooperation between the two countries. France has also recently withdrawn its troops from several African countries, including Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

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N'Djamena’s decision to terminate defense agreements with France came as no surprise, given widespread criticism of the French military in Africa and the perception that France's presence served objectives beyond ensuring security, Moussa Hissein Moussa, a journalist and pan-Africanist researcher, told Sputnik Africa.

The termination of the Chadian-French defense agreement was "predictable," considering multiple factors, Moussa noted.

“We have a calmer national context compared to the previous regime, and a sub-regional context—there’s the AES [Alliance of Sahel States]. The French army has been expelled from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. There are pan-African protest movements of young people denouncing the French military presence in Africa. Internationally, new powers are emerging, ready to cooperate without the restrictive conditions demanded by the French army. Everyone was expecting Chad’s reaction,” he explained.

Moreover, France’s military presence, which "was supposed to help Chad ensure its territorial integrity and secure its national territory, served other objectives," Moussa added. He asserted that the French army’s primary role seemed to be "supporting local regimes to remain in power," but the current Chadian government "feels much more confident and no longer needs the French army to maintain its rule."

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The decision by N'Djamena also aimed to demonstrate that Chad’s army could independently meet national security needs.

"The Chadian army is renowned in the sub-region; everyone talks about it. It has intervened in Mali, parts of Cameroon, and Niger. This is also a way for Chadian leaders to showcase the maturity of their army," the journalist said.

New forms of military cooperation, especially with Russia, are emerging across the continent, Moussa observed.

“The problem with the French is their paternalistic approach. Currently, the AES collaborates with the Russian army. Everything they need can be sourced from Russia without restrictive conditions. It’s a win-win partnership,” he said, while also praising the AES initiative for significantly reducing terrorism in the tri-border region through the joint efforts of Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali.