DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Chad's government said it is ending a defense cooperation agreement with France, its former colonial ruler, to redefine the nation's sovereignty.
The decision marks a historic turning point since the Central African nation gained independence more than six decades ago, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abderaman Koulamallah said in a statement Thursday.
It said the decision to end the agreement would allow Chad to redefine its strategic partnerships in line with national priorities.
There was no immediate response from France's government.
Chad was one of the last countries in the region in which France maintained a large military presence, having been ousted in recent years from Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso after years of fighting Islamic extremists alongside regional troops. Those countries have inched closer to Russia, which has mercenaries deployed across the Sahel, the vast expanse below the Sahara desert.
Chad’s interim president, Mahamat Deby Itno, seized power after his father, who ran the country for more than three decades, was killed fighting rebels in 2021. Last year, the government announced it was extending the 18-month transition for two more years, which led to protests across the country.
Analysts say Deby has mistrusted France for a while, and the decision creates an opportunity for other nations, notably Russia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
“Deby has been seeking to diversify its security partnerships away from exclusive deals. He doesn’t trust (French President Emmanuel) Macron. ... He can also not ignore widespread anti-French sentiment,” said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at Konrad Adenauer foundation in Mali.
France has maintained about 1,000 troops in Chad, and the statement didn't specify when they had to leave.
Chad said the decision in no way calls into question the countries’ historical ties and that it wants to maintain relations in other areas of common interest.
This story corrects that France has had 1,000 troops in Chad, not in the region.
FILE -France's President Emmanuel Macron, left, and Secretary General of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie Louise Mushikiwabo, center, welcome Chad's President General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno for the 19th Francophonie summit in Villers-Cotterets, France, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard, File)
TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Police and protesters brutally clashed in Georgia after the country's ruling party suspended negotiations to join the European Union until 2028.
Police used water cannons, pepper spray and tear gas late Thursday to disperse protesters who took to the streets following the announcement by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Georgian Dream claimed victory in last month's parliamentary election that the opposition in the South Caucasus nation dismissed as fraudulent and that has been condemned by European officials. The election on Oct. 26 was widely seen as a referendum on the country’s aspirations to join the European Union and the ruling party had indicated to voters that it would continue to seek membership of the bloc.
The interior ministry said it detained 43 people during the protests.
President Salome Zourabichvili said the government declared “war” on its own people and confronted riot police at the protest, asking them whether they served Russia or Georgia.
The Georgian president, who has a largely ceremonial role, previously said the ruling party rigged the election with the help of Russia, which previously ruled Georgia from Moscow when it was part of the Soviet Union.
She said the decision to suspend EU membership marked the “conclusion of the constitutional coup which has been unfolding for several weeks.”
The government's announcement that it was suspending negotiations to join the EU came hours after the European Parliament adopted a resolution that condemned last month’s vote as neither free nor fair, representing yet another manifestation of the continued democratic backsliding “for which the ruling Georgian Dream party is fully responsible.”
European election observers said October's vote took place in a divisive atmosphere marked by instances of bribery, double voting and physical violence.
The EU granted Georgia candidate status in December 2023 on condition that it meet the bloc’s recommendations, but put its accession on hold and cut financial support earlier this year after the passage of a “foreign influence” law widely seen as a blow to democratic freedoms.
EU lawmakers urged a rerun of the parliamentary vote within a year under thorough international supervision and by an independent election administration. They also called on the EU to impose sanctions and limit formal contacts with the Georgian government.
The Georgian prime minister fired back, denouncing what he described as a “cascade of insults” from the EU politicians and declaring that “the ill-wishers of our country have turned the European Parliament into a blunt weapon of blackmail against Georgia, which is a great disgrace for the European Union.”
“We will continue on our path toward the European Union; however, we will not allow anyone to keep us in a constant state of blackmail and manipulation, which is utterly disrespectful to our country and society,” Kobakhidze said. “We must clearly show certain European politicians and bureaucrats, who are completely devoid of European values, that they must speak to Georgia with dignity, not through blackmail and insults.”
Kobakhidze also said Georgia would reject any budgetary grants from the EU until the end of 2028.
Critics have accused Georgian Dream — established by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a shadowy billionaire who made his fortune in Russia — of becoming increasingly authoritarian and tilted toward Moscow. The party recently pushed through laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack down on freedom of speech and LGBTQ+ rights.
The EU suspended Georgia’s membership application process indefinitely in June, after parliament passed a law requiring organizations that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “pursuing the interest of a foreign power,” similar to a Russian law used to discredit organizations critical of the government.
Police detain a protester outside the parliament building in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze)
People stand with EU flags following Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's announcement, rallying outside the parliament building in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze)
Paramedics treat a protester after clashes with police as demonstrators poured into the streets following Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's announcement, rallying outside the parliament building in Tbilisi, Georgia Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze)
A group of protesters move a burning garbage container pouring into the streets following Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's announcement, rallying outside the parliament building in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze)
Police detain a protester outside the parliament building in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze)
Protesters pour into the streets following Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's announcement, rallying outside the parliament building in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze)
Police use a water cannon to prevent protesters pouring into the streets following Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's announcement, rallying outside the parliament building in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze)
Protesters pour into the streets and put fire following Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's announcement, rallying outside the parliament building in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Zurab Tsertsvadze)
