France hands over last military base in Chad

N'DJAMENA, Chad — France handed over its last military base in Chad to local authorities on Thursday, two months after the former French colony in central Africa broke off its defense cooperation agreement with Paris.

Chad has been a key counterterrorism force in the region and was one of the last countries in which France maintained a large military presence.

French forces have been ousted in recent years from Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso following years of fighting Islamic extremists alongside regional troops. Those countries have moved closer to Moscow, with Russian mercenaries deployed across the Sahel, the vast expanse below the Sahara desert.

In a statement on Thursday, Chad's army announced the French military's handover to local authorities of the Sergent Adji Kossei air base in Chad's capital, N'Djamena.

France had already handed over its two other military bases — Faya in the north and Abeche in the east of the country — in late December and early January. The French army had around 1,000 personnel in Chad.

In announcing the end of the defense cooperation agreement with France last November, the Chadian government described the decision as a turning point for the country, which gained independence in 1960, and said that it would enable Chad to redefine its strategic partnerships in line with national priorities.

Chadian authorities have said that the end of the defense agreement in no way calls into question the countries' historical ties and that it wants to maintain relations with France in other areas of common interest.

In December, Senegal and Ivory Coast also announced the departure of French troops from their countries, just as Paris was devising a new strategy that would sharply reduce its permanent troop presence in Africa.