Online Reporter
Egountchi Behanzin
The rupture of the defence agreement with Chad demonstrates the ineffectiveness of Paris’ foreign policy and the revolt against a humiliating colonial past.
“The government of the Republic of Chad informs the national and international community of its decision to end the accord in the field of defence signed with the French Republic on the 5th of September 2019, aimed at strengthening security and defence cooperation between the two countries,” it said.
This event marks a historic turning point not only for Chad but also for the entire African continent, which seems to be resolutely embarking on the path of definitive decolonisation. Under President Emmanuel Macron, France, once perceived as a colonial power, is now reduced to the role of a former coloniser, whose unholy methods and presence are increasingly not tolerated.
After 66 years of false independence, Chad refuses to continue living under the shadow of an old colonial power that, far from being a sincere partner, has acted as a predator. The rupture of this defence agreement is not merely a diplomatic act; it is the cry of despair from a nation weary of decades of foreign interference. May’s protests against the French military presence in Chad illustrated a widespread frustration with a France that, under the guise of protection and cooperation, has always pursued its own interests and neo-colonial ambitions.
Macron, who promised a renewal of Franco-African relations upon coming to power in 2017, now faces a diplomacy in crisis. His approach, far from bringing a breath of fresh air, has proven to be a true disaster but above all an accelerator for the decolonisation of African countries. Françafrique, this opaque system of neo-colonial domination, is increasingly rejected by African populations.
The move makes Chad the latest African state to end military partnership with Paris amid a wave of anti-French sentiment in former colonies in recent years. Its neighbours Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have expelled French troops for failing to quell the jihadist insurgency in the Sahel region.
Senegal’s government is also seeking the closure of all French army bases: Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye stated in an interview with Le Monde that “there will soon be no more French troops in Senegal.”
Chad’s president, Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, told reporters that the agreement had become “completely obsolete.”
“It no longer corresponded to the security, geopolitical, and strategic realities of our time, nor to our legitimate expectations regarding the full expression of our sovereignty,” Mahamat Deby claimed.
Chad, like other West African and Sahelian countries, no longer wishes to be the play-thing of French ambitions, which resemble more an occupation intent than a genuine partnership and military cooperation.
The deterioration of relations between Macron and the Chadian president illustrates the weakness of an incoherent and neo-colonial foreign policy.
France, which has imposed its strategic imperialist choices on Chad since colonisation, now faces firm resistance.
In July 2023, the arrival of a new French ambassador, Eric Gérard, a former head of the GIGN (The National Gendarmerie Intervention Group, an elite counter-terrorism and crisis management unit), has exacerbated tensions between the Chadian authorities and France. His figure is seen at least as controversial and this appointment demonstrates a lack of understanding of the political and social reality of Chad.
Gérard had been criticised both in Algeria, where he served as consul general, for implementing a restrictive visa policy, and then in the Central African Republic (CAR)where he served as an ambassador. Chad is showing the way in Central Africa towards emancipation that resonates throughout the African continent. By breaking these defence agreements, the country is not only proclaiming its independence; it is also denouncing the heavy legacy of a slave-holding and colonising France. It is time for France to engage in self-reflection. By continuing to ignore the will of African peoples, it risks losing all influence in a region where its power is already in decline.
daniel chigunwe
