N'DJAMENA -- Chad on Friday held a ceremony to mark the formal withdrawal of French troops from the Central African nation.

At the ceremony, France officially handed over its main military base in N'Djamena, the capital of Chad, marking the end of its 125-year military presence in the country.

"We are not breaking our relationship with France, but we are putting an end to the military dimension of this cooperation," Chadian president Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno told the ceremony at Adji Kossei military base.

Chad is open to dialogue with all its international partners, including France, he said, noting that any new alliance must be based on mutual respect and without losing sight of the demands of independence and sovereignty.

"We now have to count on the bravery and professionalism of our soldiers," the president said. "We must build a stronger, well-equipped army capable of responding to threats."

In November 2024, Chad announced the end of its security and defense cooperation agreement with France. On Dec 10, some French troops began to leave Chad.

On Dec 31, 2024, Mahamat Deby announced the definitive withdrawal of French troops from the country by Jan 31, 2025.