The Chadian Ministry of Defense reported this Thursday that French forces have withdrawn from the Faya military base, located in the north of the country, the first since the breakdown of the security agreement between both countries.
“Chad and France continue to work closely to ensure a rapid and respectful withdrawal of French forces, while preserving the sovereignty of each country,” the Ministry said in a statement posted on Facebook.
The delivery ceremony took place in the presence of local authorities. “The personnel and equipment deployed at this base will return to France in the coming days,” he noted, also adding that a convoy of 54 vehicles has left for N’Djamena.
The decision by N’Djamena, a key ally of France in the region and a country that hosts the largest French military base on the continent, came after the military junta of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger broke their military ties with Paris and will stage a rapprochement with Russia.
These three countries also announced their departure from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the creation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), amid criticism from France and its Western allies and their skepticism about the role of Russia and the expansion of Al Qaeda and Islamic State branches in the region.
1,200 pardons
Another withdrawal occurs in Burkina Faso, but not of French soldiers but of convicts. The authorities of Burkina Faso announced this Thursday after the last Council of Ministers held this year that the leader of the military junta, Ibrahim Traoré, has decided to grant pardons to around 1,200 people as of January 1, 2025.
The Burkinabé Minister of Justice, Rodrigue Bayala, has explained that approximately 400 will benefit from a full remission of their sentences, 750 from a partial remission and three sentenced to life imprisonment will have their sentences commuted, according to the Burkinabé Government Information Service. Faso.
“All these measures contribute to the head of state’s vision of reducing prison overpopulation and guaranteeing that these people who are there can contribute effectively to the development of our country,” reads a statement published on his profile on the social network Facebook.
Although Ouagadougou has not made public for now the names of the people affected by the measure, which will be published in the official gazette, it has clarified that all the proposed convicts were chosen according to criteria and conditions that take into account age, health status, interest in working in agricultural production units, workshops and construction sites in penitentiary establishments.
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