As Sahel nations move closer to Russia, Chad’s top diplomat says country is ‘very jealous of its sovereignty’.

Chad has said it is ending its defence cooperation agreement with former colonial power France, a move that will require French soldiers to leave the Central African country.

Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah called France “an essential partner” but said it “must now also consider that Chad has grown up, matured and is a sovereign state that is very jealous of its sovereignty”.

The announcement was made on Thursday, hours after a visit by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.

Chad has cooperated closely with Western nations’ military forces in the past, but has moved closer to Russia in recent years.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the decision to terminate the deal, which was revised in 2019, would enable the country to redefine its strategic partnerships.

France currently has about 1,000 soldiers as well as warplanes stationed in Chad, which is the last Sahel country to host French troops.

France has been forced to pull its troops out of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso over the last two years following military coups.

Koulamallah did not give a date for the withdrawal of French troops.

He was speaking at a press briefing on Thursday after a meeting between Barrot and President Mahamat Idriss Deby, who has sought closer ties with Russia.

“The government of the Republic of Chad informs national and international opinion of its decision to end the accord in the field of defence signed with the French republic,” Koulamallah said in a statement on Facebook.

Deby was sworn in as president in May after three years as an interim leader under military rule. His father, Idriss Deby, had governed Chad since a coup in the early 1990s.

Landlocked Chad borders the Central African Republic, Sudan, Libya and Niger, all of which host paramilitary forces from Russia’s Wagner Group.

The Foreign Ministry statement on Thursday said that Chad, a key Western ally in the fight against armed groups in the region, wanted to fully assert its sovereignty after 66 years of independence.

“In accordance with the terms of the accord, Chad will respect the modalities of the termination including the necessary deadlines, and will collaborate with French authorities to ensure a harmonious transition,” it said.

Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye said in an interview with French state TV on Thursday that it was inappropriate for French troops to maintain a presence in his country.

He stopped short of saying if or when French troops would be asked to leave. Some 350 French soldiers are based in Senegal.