Chad is moving to restore ties with France after a year of tensions and rising rebel attacks near Sudan’s border.
President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris last week to formalise a revitalised partnership plan.
The meeting followed Chad’s abrupt 2024 decision to end decades-long military cooperation with France, leaving its forces to withdraw in December.
Chad has since sought alternative security partners, including the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Hungary, and Russia, amid growing regional instability.
A bilateral business forum is scheduled in Paris this April, highlighting Chad’s keen interest in renewed French investment and collaboration.
Chad shares more than 1,000 kilometres of border with Sudan, where civil war has displaced nearly a million refugees into its territory.
Two clashes in Sudan’s border with the Rapid Support Forces killed nine Chadian soldiers since December, intensifying pressure on Deby’s administration to secure national borders.
French troops historically provided training, intelligence, and aerial support, capabilities Chad now lacks against growing rebel and militant threats.
Deby’s decision to re-engage France is partly driven by the need for security, analysts say, as Boko Haram and ISWAP roam Lake Chad.
French involvement could also strengthen Chad’s position with international lenders and institutions, including the European Union, IMF, and World Bank.
For France, the renewed partnership offers a chance to regain influence in the Sahel a year after its withdrawal from regional bases.
The revival signals both countries’ recognition that enduring ties and shared security interests outweigh past disputes and political embarrassment.
Chad now navigates a complex regional landscape, balancing historical alliances, new partnerships, and the persistent shadow of conflict along its borders.
