In a week that has seen the unraveling of decades-old alliances, two West African nations have taken dramatic steps to distance themselves from their former colonial ruler, France. On September 25, 2025, both Mali and Chad announced the suspension or outright termination of their military cooperation agreements with Paris—a move that signals a broader shift in the region’s approach to foreign partnerships and security arrangements.
According to Bloomberg, Mali’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation sent a formal letter to the French mission in Bamako, declaring the immediate suspension of all counter-terrorism cooperation with France. This decision follows the arrest of a French envoy in the Malian capital, which had already prompted France to announce a suspension of its own cooperation efforts earlier in the month. The ministry’s letter made it clear that Mali’s action was a direct response to these French measures, stating that the move "aligns with similar steps taken by French authorities earlier in September 2025."
Just hours later, Chad’s Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah took to his ministry’s official Facebook page to declare the end of his country’s defense cooperation pact with France. In a statement quoted by Reuters and AFP, Koulamallah said, "The government of the Republic of Chad informs national and international opinion of its decision to end the accord in the field of defense signed with the French Republic." The minister emphasized that this was not a complete diplomatic break with France, unlike the ruptures seen in Niger or elsewhere, but rather an assertion of Chad’s sovereignty after 64 years of independence.
"This is not a break with France like Niger or elsewhere," Koulamallah told AFP, seeking to downplay the move’s potential for escalating tensions. Still, the implications are significant. Around 1,000 French troops are currently stationed in Chad, and the termination of the agreement could soon force their withdrawal—a scenario that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
Chad’s decision comes at a time when France’s influence in West and Central Africa is under increasing pressure. Over the past two years, France has been compelled to pull its troops out of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, largely in the wake of military coups and shifting political landscapes. In many of these countries, new military-led governments have expressed a desire to forge alternative partnerships, with China and Russia emerging as attractive options for economic and security cooperation.
The timing of Chad’s announcement was particularly striking, coming mere hours after French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot visited N’Djamena, the Chadian capital. There was no immediate response from French officials, but the sequence of events underscored the growing unpredictability of France’s relationships with its former colonies.
For Mali, the suspension of counter-terrorism cooperation with France marks another chapter in a troubled relationship that has deteriorated sharply in recent years. Once seen as a linchpin in the fight against jihadist groups across the Sahel, French forces have increasingly found themselves unwelcome in the region’s capitals. The arrest of a French envoy in Bamako earlier this month was only the latest flashpoint in a series of diplomatic disputes that have soured relations between the two countries.
Mali’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in its letter to the French mission, cast the suspension as a reciprocal measure—a tit-for-tat response to what it saw as French provocation. The letter stated, "The action comes in line with similar steps by French authorities this month." This escalation leaves both countries without the framework that had previously enabled joint operations against extremist groups, raising concerns about the future of counter-terrorism efforts in a region still plagued by violence and instability.
The ripple effects of these decisions are being felt beyond Mali and Chad. In Senegal, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye told French television on September 25, 2025, that it was "inappropriate for French troops to maintain a presence in his country." While Senegal has not yet moved to expel French forces or terminate its own agreements, Faye’s comments reflect a growing sentiment among African leaders that the era of open-ended foreign military deployments is coming to an end.
France’s military presence in Africa has long been a subject of controversy, both within the continent and at home in Paris. Supporters argue that French troops have played a vital role in stabilizing fragile states and combating the spread of violent extremism. Critics, however, see the deployments as vestiges of colonialism and question whether they have truly benefited the local populations. The recent wave of military coups and the emergence of new alliances with non-Western powers have only intensified these debates.
Chad’s government, for its part, has sought to frame the termination of its defense accord as an act of national self-determination. The official statement emphasized the country’s desire to "fully assert its sovereignty" and to "redefine its strategic partnerships." This language echoes similar rhetoric from other African leaders who have called for a more balanced and mutually respectful approach to international relations.
The loss of Chad as a reliable partner is a particular blow to France, given the country’s strategic location and its role as a hub for regional counter-insurgency operations. Chad has long been considered a linchpin in Western efforts to contain jihadist threats in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin. The withdrawal of French troops could create a security vacuum that extremist groups may seek to exploit, though it also opens the door for new forms of cooperation with other international actors.
Meanwhile, the shifting allegiances of countries like Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso highlight a broader trend: the diversification of Africa’s foreign partnerships. As Western influence wanes, China and Russia have moved quickly to fill the void, offering military assistance, investment, and diplomatic support. Whether these new alliances will deliver greater stability or simply add new complications remains to be seen.
For now, the message from Bamako and N’Djamena is unmistakable: the old rules no longer apply. As Mali and Chad chart their own courses, France—and the wider international community—must grapple with a rapidly changing African landscape, where sovereignty and self-determination are the watchwords of a new era.
