French troops begin departure from Chad
A contingent of 120 French soldiers has left Chad following the country’s decision to end its defense cooperation pact with Paris.
French troops were seen boarding their plane on Friday and departing from N'Djamena airport.
The withdrawal process formally began earlier this month with the departure of two French Mirage warplanes.
France still has about 1000 troops stationed in Chad, with the full drawdown expected to take several weeks.
The terms and conditions of the complete withdrawal, including whether any French troops will remain in Chad, are yet to be finalized between the two countries.
Chad announced on November 28 its decision to end a defense accord with Paris mainly dating from independence in 1960.
"At midday, 120 French soldiers took off from the military airport of N'Djamena on board an Airbus A330 Phoenix MRTT, headed for France," the ministry said in a statement on Facebook.
The departure of French soldiers took place in the presence of Chadian military authorities, the statement said.
The move comes after France had already pulled its forces out of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger in recent years.
This departure signals the end of decades of French military presence in the Sahel region as the anti-French sentiment continues to grow.
France begins pulling out military forces from Chad: Army
South Africa's anti-Apartheid effort to isolate Israel
South Africa to file detailed dossier with top UN court on Israeli genocide
16 settlers injured as Yemeni ballistic missile hits Tel Aviv
Dec. 20: ‘Axis of Resistance’ operations against Israeli occupation
VIDEO | Pakistani government pledges to restore peace in Parachinar
VIDEO | Yemenis hold nationwide rallies in support of Palestine
VIDEO | Six Palestinians including elderly women killed in Israeli West Bank raids
Saudi man arrested after deadly car attack on German Christmas market
French troops begin departure from Chad
VIDEO | Amman protest denounces Arab states’ silence on Israeli crimes
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
