French troops have departed from the Abéché base in Chad, which they occupied for over 60 years.

Following Chad's termination of the defense cooperation agreement with Paris in July 2024, the withdrawal of French troops from this African nation continues. On January 11, the French side officially handed over control of the base in the city of Abéché to the National Army of Chad.

This was reported by RBK-Ukraine citing RFI and the African newspaper TV5MONDE.

The military base in Abéché was "received" from the French side, which had controlled the site for over 60 years, by Chad's Minister of Armed Forces and Veterans, Issaka Maloua Jamus.

During the official ceremony for the handover of the keys to the camp in this city, representatives from both countries signed an agreement to finalize the transfer of the military base.

The gradual withdrawal of French troops from Chad continues with the handover of the Abéché military base on January 11, 2025, as part of the termination of military agreements with France. pic.twitter.com/qDA8EnqZQl

- Africa TV5MONDE (@JTAtv5monde) January 11, 2025

The governor of Abéché, Ali Suleiman, called the decision historic, while the Minister of Armed Forces of Chad reminded of the timeline set by the country's authorities for the complete and final withdrawal of French troops.

Previously, French forces were compelled to vacate bases in Adji-Kossé, N'Djamena, and Faya-Largeau in Chad.

"We are pleased to see that this timeline has been adhered to. For me, it is also an opportunity to reaffirm the government's strong commitment to meeting the established deadlines, including by January 31, 2025, when French troops are to completely leave Chad," said Chad's Minister of Armed Forces Jamus.

By noon on January 11, 90 of the 120 French military personnel stationed at the base flew to N'Djamena to the Adji-Kossé base. Their departure will mark the final stage of the withdrawal of French forces, organized within a limited timeframe as demanded by the Chadian authorities.

Withdrawal of French troops from Chad

At the end of December last year, French troops began leaving Chad. This was linked to the termination of the military cooperation agreement with the French side by this African country on November 28.

It is worth noting that in 2022-2023, France had to end its military presence in several African countries, including Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. This occurred after power shifted to military juntas in these states that have aligned themselves with Russia.

Recently, French President Emmanuel Macron explained why the French army is leaving African countries.

Additionally, on January 8, it was reported that gunfire occurred near the presidential residence in Chad's capital - armed individuals attacked the complex's territory.