Chad will not invite forces from other countries, including Russia, following the withdrawal of French troops, stated Chad's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abderaman Koulamallah.
"The withdrawal of French troops from Chad in no way implies their replacement by other forces, including Russian," he said, as cited by a French newspaper.
According to the minister, "Chad has the means to defend itself."
However, the newspaper noted that Chad has "found other security partners." For instance, the African country's army recently used Turkish-made drones against the extremist group Boko Haram*.
The publication considered the UAE to be Chad's most preferred ally, as they supply military equipment to the African country. Furthermore, in October, the UAE granted Chad a loan amounting to over a billion dollars.
On November 29, Chad's ministry of foreign affairs announced the decision to end its defense cooperation agreement with France. Subsequently, on December 5, Chad’s Prime Minister Allamaye Halina appointed a 21-member commission to oversee the implementation of this decision.
*Boko Haram, or Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) is a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia and many other states