By Enyichukwu Enemanna
French President Emmanuel Macron has extended invitation to his Chadian counterpart Mahamat Déby, as both countries seek to mend the frosty diplomatic relations.
The verbal invitation Paris was delivered to President Déby by France’s Ambassador to Chad, Éric Gérard, during a meeting at the presidential palace in the capital, N’Djamena, on Monday.
Chad’s Presidency in a statement said Déby accepted the invitation, though further details were not disclosed on when the trip will take place.
This came after a sharp downturn in Franco-Chadian military relations, when Chad abruptly pulled out from its defence pact with France in November 2024.
This led to the withdrawal of French forces from military bases across the central African nation, despite its protracted security challenges.
Chadian at that time said the historical accord with the former colonial power was “obsolete,” and failed to deliver value to the country’s modern security needs.
France had maintained about 1,000 troops in Chad providing intelligence and logistical assistance to the military from their bases, including the capital, N’Djamena.
Chad said the move was about asserting its sovereignty and taking back full control of its defence after more than 60 years of independence.
But by late 2024, France’s influence in the region waned after forced withdrawals from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso following successive coups.
Monday’s meeting between the Chadian president and France’s ambassador focused on the “renewal of bilateral cooperation” characterised by “dialogue and openness in a spirit of consultation and consideration of the interests of each party”, the Chadian presidency said.
“This meeting primarily provided an opportunity for the two officials to thoroughly review Franco-Chadian cooperation. This close cooperation now needs to be renewed, revitalised and adapted to the new balance of power. This must be done in a spirit of consultation and consideration of the interests of each party,” Déby’s office said.
