France began withdrawing its military forces from Chad by flying out two Mirage fighter jets stationed in the capital, N’Djamena.

This follows Chad’s decision to end its defense cooperation agreement with France, a move seen as a shift in its strategic partnerships.

France, which once maintained a large military presence in the region to combat Islamic extremism, has faced growing anti-French sentiment and has been ousted from several Sahel nations now aligning closer with Russia, the Associated Press has reported.

Negotiations continue over the timeline and scope of the withdrawal of France’s remaining 1,000 troops in Chad.

Written by B.C. Begley