Paris, Dec 21 (Reporter) The first contingent of 120 French soldiers has left Chad after the African country broke its military cooperation agreement with France, the Ministry of the Armed Forces, Veterans and War Victims of Chad said on Friday. "Breakdown of military cooperation with France, 120 French soldiers board Airbus A330 Phoenix MRTT to France on December 20, 2024," the ministry said on social media. French radio station RFI reported earlier in the day, citing sources, that the Chadian authorities, who broke off military cooperation with France in late November, have demanded that French troops leave the country by January 31, 2025. According to French media, there are currently around 1,000 French soldiers in Chad. On December 10, the French armed forces announced the departure of two Mirage 2000D fighter jets from Chad after the country demanded the withdrawal of the French military contingent, with the third fighter jet to return to France in the coming days. The Chadian Foreign Ministry announced the termination of defense cooperation with France on November 28. Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah said in an interview with Le Monde that France should withdraw its military contingent from the country. The Jeune Afrique news magazine reported, citing sources, that the reason for terminating the agreement was a difference in the positions of the parties on the civil conflict in Sudan. Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye also said that the presence of French military bases in his country was incompatible with national sovereignty, demanding the removal of French military bases. In 2022, the French military, which had been present in Africa's Sahel region since 2014 as part of the anti-terrorism Operation Barkhane, was forced to leave Mali. In November 2022, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the end of Operation Barkhane. In 2023, France also withdrew its troops from Burkina Faso and Niger at the request of the countries' coup-installed authorities...////...