Macron invites Déby to France in bid to ease tensions

French President Emmanuel Macron has invited his Chadian counterpart to Paris, as both countries seek to renew and improve future relations.

The verbal invitation was delivered to President Mahamat Déby by France’s Ambassador to Chad, Éric Gérard, during a meeting at the presidential palace in the capital, N’Djamena, on Monday.

In a statement, Chad’s Presidency said Déby accepted the invitation, although it made no mention of when the visit will take place.

It follows a sharp downturn in Franco-Chadian military relations, after Chad abruptly ended its defence agreement with France in November 2024.

This triggered the withdrawal of French forces from military bases across the central African nation, which continues to grapple with serious security challenges.

At the time, Chadian authorities said the historical accord with the former colonial power was “obsolete,” and offered no added 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 in 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 had been rapidly eroding after forced withdrawals from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso following successive coups.

Months before ending its defence pact with France, Chad also ordered US troops to leave, fuelling speculation that N’Djamena was drifting from its Western partners toward closer ties with Russia.

But Déby insisted his country had no intention of welcoming another foreign power to replace France, saying is preferred to forge new alliances anchored on mutual respect.

Last week, Chad signed a memorandum of understanding with Belarus – close Russian ally – to strengthen military cooperation.

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.