'Slap in the face': Chad stuns France with goodbye

Chad's announcement that it is ending military cooperation with France wrongfooted the African country's former colonial masters, adding to a series of French setbacks in the Sahel, experts said Friday.

N'Djamena's statement declaring its "decision to end the accord in the field of defence" on Thursday came only hours after a visit by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, whose delegation appeared unaware the move was looming.

"You could describe this as a slap in the face," said Wolfram Lacher, a researcher at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP).

The announcement by Chad -- the last Sahel country to host French troops -- came shortly after Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye told AFP in an interview that France should close its military bases in the West African country.

"First Senegal, then Chad, within 24 hours," Lacher said. "That shows the failure of France's policy in Africa."

The French government said late Friday that it "takes note" of the announcement.

"France has been holding nearly two years of talks and reflection with our partners on the reconfiguration of our military presence in Africa," said foreign ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine.

"In that context, we have been in close dialogue with the Chadian authorities, who announced their desire to see this security and defence cooperation evolve."

France will "pursue a dialogue in order to put this guidance into effect", he added.

France has been preparing for years what it called a "reorganisation" of military relations after the forced departure of its troops from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, where regimes hostile to the ex-colonial power have taken hold.

On Monday, President Emmanuel Macron's special envoy for Africa, Jean-Marie Bockel, submitted him a report on reshaping France's military presence in Africa, calling for a partnership that was to be both "renewed" and "co-created".

The report "recommended a drastic reduction" of France's military presence, noted Elie Tenenbaum, at the French Institute for International Relations (IFRI).

But its conclusions left Chad dissatisfied, because they "failed to take into account their expectations", said Yamingue Betinbaye, a political analyst in Chad, adding it might have triggered Thursday's abrupt announcement.

"Once again, the Africans moved faster than the French," said Tenenbaum, adding that their method had also handed a public relations victory to Russia, which has been expanding its influence in Africa.