France has started the withdrawal of its military from Chad with the departure of two warplanes that were based in the capital N'Djamena, the French army said, two weeks after Chad said it was ending its defence cooperation pact with Paris.

France's military presence in Chad has ended following the departure of two combat jets and a tanker aeroplane from the capital N'Djamena.

France has withdrawn its troops from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. President Emmanuel Macron "will go down in history as the one who allowed the loss of French influence on the continent," said expert Dagauh Komenan,

The French military says it has flown out the two Mirage fighter jets it had stationed in Chad, signaling the beginning of its withdrawal of military forces from the central African country.

The decision by Chad is another blow to what remained of France’s military influence in the troubled stretch of countries below the Sahara, where Russia’s influence has been growing.

Chad, a former African colony of France, has for decades been central to its military operations in Africa, but it is developing closer ties to Russia amid the NATO war with Russia in Ukraine.

France has initiated the process of withdrawing its military presence from Chad, starting with the departure of two warplanes stationed in N'Djamena, the capital. ・France has started the process of withdrawing its military presence from Chad.