Chad: Two French Mirage 2000s announced for stopover, two years after military rupture

Two Mirage 2000 fighter jets and a French army CASA transport aircraft will make a technical stopover in Chad in November 2026, accompanied by training activities. The announcement by the spokesperson for the French Chief of the Defense Staff, Xavier Rival, was reported on October 30, 2026, by RFI. It is the most concrete sign of a French military return to a country that closed the door on Paris two years ago.

The stopover is part of a joint military exercise scheduled for November 2026 with the armed forces of Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, and France. Xavier Rival describes it as "short" and as an opportunity to conduct training activities. Cooperation has resumed, he says, "in full respect of Chad's sovereignty," with the French army set to help develop the capabilities of the Chadian Air Force.

Two years after a deliberate rupture

In November 2024, President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno denounced the military cooperation agreement binding his country to France. The complete withdrawal of French troops was finalized in early 2025. Déby justified his decision at the time by citing a promise made during his May 2024 inauguration, arguing that the defense pact no longer met the country's security needs, reports allAfrica.

Chad was then one of the last French bases in the Sahel. Paris had deployed more than 5,000 soldiers there as part of Operation Barkhane, which ended in November 2022. The coups d'état that occurred between 2020 and 2023 had already led France to leave Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

A rapid warming, and its limits

The rapprochement accelerated in 2026. Emmanuel Macron hosted Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno at the Élysée in mid-October 2026, following an initial visit in January. The two countries signed a declaration of intent to renew their defense cooperation. On X, the French president spoke of a "new stage" and a partnership "based on mutual respect."

The economic component is following suit. Medef organized a France-Chad business forum in September 2026, which brought together 250 companies, and a French business delegation is expected in Chad in the coming months, according to the Élysée. Chad is targeting 26.5 billion euros in public and private investment and a 60% increase in its gross domestic product by 2030.

The question remains regarding this U-turn. For Remadji Hoinathy, a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies cited by allAfrica, this return reflects lasting mutual interests, but also the limits of Chadian efforts to diversify its security alliances. In other words: breaking an agreement is one thing, building an alternative is another.