Death of Idriss Déby: in the Sahel, the Barkhane force loses one of its most solid allies

Barkhane has just lost a leading ally.

Two months after the N'Djamena summit, which in February marked a new stage for the French operation, the death of the Chadian president, Idriss Déby, heralds the coming turbulence in the fight against the armed groups raging in the Sahel.

Of the five G5 Sahel countries involved in the fight against jihadists alongside Paris, Chad was among the strongest militarily.

Barkhane had also installed his command in the Chadian capital.

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In a Sahelian zone characterized by political instability and security threats, Chad has some assets for France.

Franco-Chadian military cooperation is old, symbolized by Operation Épervier launched in 1986 and to which Barkhane succeeded.

Paris had supported Idriss Déby's seizure of power in 1990. Since then, support for the president's opponents has not weakened.

For France, Chad is a lock of stability

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