MADRID 26 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Chadian Ministry of Defense reported this Thursday that French forces have withdrawn from the Faya military base, located in the north of the country, the first since the breakdown of the security agreement between both countries.
“Chad and France continue to work closely to ensure a rapid and respectful withdrawal of French forces, while preserving the sovereignty of each country,” the ministry said in a statement posted on Facebook.
The delivery ceremony took place in the presence of local authorities. “The personnel and equipment deployed at this base will return to France in the coming days,” he said, adding that a convoy of 54 vehicles has left for N’Djamena.
The decision by N’Djamena, a key ally of France in the region and a country that hosts the largest French military base on the continent, came after the military junta of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger broke their military ties with Paris and will stage a rapprochement with Russia.
These three countries also announced their departure from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the creation of the Alliance of Sahel States, amid criticism from France and its Western allies and their skepticism about the role of Russia and the expansion of the branches of Al Qaeda and Islamic State in the region.