Source : Sahel weather Novembre 2024 

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The announcement came as a thunderclap. On Thursday November 28, a few hours after the visit of French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, his counterpart Abderaman Koulamallah declared the “end of defense cooperation signed with the French Republic”. According to the press release, “it is time for Chad to assert its full sovereignty, and to redefine its strategic partnerships according to national ownership.” However, the document stresses, “carefully considered (...), this decision in no way calls into question the historic relations and friendly ties between the two nations.” France's historic military ally, N'Djamena, however, said it hoped for a “harmonious transition”, remaining “open to constructive dialogue to explore new forms of partnership” following this revised agreement in 2019.

Clearly taken by surprise, the French Foreign Ministry took note of this decision, while expressing its wish to continue the dialogue. “(...) A close dialogue is being conducted with the Chadian authorities, who have expressed their wish to see the security and defense partnership evolve,” said a spokesman for the French Foreign Ministry. A few days after the announcement, President Idriss Mahamat Déby referred to the “obsolete” nature of the agreement with Paris, which no longer provided “added value” in the face of current challenges. However, he added, “Chad is by no means in the business of replacing one power with another, still less in the business of changing masters. Indeed, N'Djamena's decision has been interpreted by some as a desire to draw closer to Russia, as the two countries have moved closer diplomatically in recent months.

All in all, this situation comes at a time when Chad is finding it increasingly difficult to respond effectively to its security challenges. Earlier this month, the country threatened to withdraw from the Mixed Multinational Force (MMF), set up to combat jihadist groups in Lake Chad. N'Djamena criticized the “lack of pooling of efforts” following last month's attack, which left 27 soldiers dead. The Chadian army has also drawn up an initial assessment of Operation Haskanite, launched the day after the bloody attack. According to the General Staff, “96 terrorists were neutralized”, with 15 Chadian soldiers killed and 32 others wounded.

On the other hand, the final list of candidates for the December 29 legislative elections is now known. The Constitutional Council has confirmed the rejection of the candidacy of Mahamat Zen Barda, Secretary General of the Mouvement patriotique du salut (MPS), convicted of embezzlement of public funds. However, the candidacies of the two former mayors of N'Djamena, Mariam Djimet Ibet and Wang Louana Foullah, were accepted. As a reminder, these legislative elections were boycotted by a large part of the opposition. At the same time, several detainees held by the secret services were released. After the release of two bankers, three Russians and a Belarussian, the secretary general of the Socialist Party without Borders (PSI), Abakar Tourabi, was released from prison after 9 months in detention. He had been arrested during the events of February 2024, which led to the death of opposition figure Yaya Dillo, the late president of the PSI.

Finally, neighboring Sudan has lodged an official complaint against Chad with the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, in connection with the war that has been raging between the country's armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023. According to Khartoum, N'Djamena has played “an essential role in the crimes committed by the rebel militia”. The Chadian side simply rejects these accusations of interference. According to a British report, over 61,000 people have died in Khartoum, mainly from disease and starvation. Meanwhile, Sudanese refugee women in the east of the country have been sexually abused by UN humanitarian teams and Chadian security forces, according to Associated Press revelations.