Africa-Press. Chad and France are moving towards rebuilding their military relations after nearly 18 months of severance, through a limited cooperation framework that includes training, intelligence gathering, and air support, without restoring the model of permanent French bases and extensive military deployment.
According to a local source, a limited number of French military personnel returned to Chad in April 2026 to carry out training and intelligence missions, as part of arrangements aimed at supporting the Chadian army in facing armed groups in the Lake Chad region and security challenges along the border with Sudan.
The proposed areas of cooperation include support for air capabilities, information exchange, troop training, and improving medical evacuation operations and air support for ground forces, which faced difficulties after the departure of French troops. The two sides also discussed the possibility of Chad purchasing French aircraft and helicopters.
A Different Partnership
The new framework does not aim to return around a thousand French soldiers or establish permanent bases, but relies on small, flexible teams deployed according to the needs of the Chadian army and with the approval of authorities in N’Djamena. In return, France seeks to regain the ability to use the “Sergeant Adji Kossi” airbase when necessary.
Chad had terminated the defense cooperation agreement with France in November 2024, considering that the step would allow it to reshape its strategic partnerships according to its national priorities and enhance its sovereignty. The withdrawal of French troops was completed on January 31, 2025, ending a military presence that lasted nearly seven decades.
This shift comes amid increasing security pressures on Chad, particularly the activities of Boko Haram and ISIS near Lake Chad, in addition to concerns about the spillover of the Sudanese war across the eastern border.
