After being pushed out of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, and facing limited prospects of returning to those countries, France is reshaping its military strategy in Africa as it rebuilds ties with Chad less than two years after N’Djamena ended a defence agreement that had underpinned 65 years of French military presence.
Following months of negotiations and diplomatic engagement, Paris and N’Djamena began restoring security cooperation, with the first French military personnel returning to Chad in April 2026 as both sides worked to redefine their relationship.
However, this time, the cooperation is expected to focus on military assistance, training and intelligence support for Chadian forces fighting armed groups in the Lake Chad Basin and responding to security threats along the country’s eastern border with Sudan.
Unlike the previous arrangement, the new framework will operate under the approval of the Chadian government and does not involve a return to the former model of a permanent French military presence or foreign control over Chadian territory.
The move comes as President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno seeks to consolidate his authority after taking power following the death of his father, Idriss Déby Itno, who maintained close ties with France and relied on Paris as a key security ally during his three-decade rule.
