Chad's President Mahamat Deby said the decision to terminate the country's military pact with France was taken because it had become outdated, in his first public remarks since the surprise announcement last week.

The decision by Chad is another blow to what remained of France’s military influence in the troubled stretch of countries below the Sahara, where Russia’s influence has been growing.

Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby has said his decision to end cooperation agreements with the French military is part of a promise he made during his inauguration in May, 2024. In a televised address,

Chad, a former African colony of France, has for decades been central to its military operations in Africa, but it is developing closer ties to Russia amid the NATO war with Russia in Ukraine.

The decision represents growing anti-French sentiment in Chad and the Sahel region, where France has been effectively expelled from several former colonies.View on euronews

Chad's government said it was ending a defense cooperation agreement with France in order to redefine the nation's sovereignty from its former colonial ruler. The decision marks a historic turning point since the Central African nation gained independence more than six decades ago,

Chad's government said on Thursday it has ended its defence cooperation pact with France, a move that could see French troops leave the Central African country.

STORY: Chad's government says it has ended a defence cooperation deal with France - a move that could result in French troops leaving the central African country.France currently has around 1,000 troops stationed in Chad,

Deby stated that the agreement no longer served Chad's security or geopolitical interests. Despite over a decade of fighting a jihadist insurgency, support from French and U.S. troops has not succeeded in stabilizing the country.