Chad has announced it will no longer be part of the defense cooperation agreement with France. Senegal also announced it intends to expel French soldiers from its territory. An estimated 1,000 troops are present in Chad. Senegal does have French military bases. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye expressed the change in position as Senegal asserting its national sovereignty. The Senegalese president was elected to office with the goal drastic political change. President Mahamat Deby being the strongman of Chad, no longer wants to follow the dictates of France. His ambition could be to have more influence in Sudan and South Sudan. Breaking military ties with France shows that President Mahamat Deby is not a puppet to a foreign power. President Deby is showing that he is going to be a longtime authoritarian leader in the region. France was forced out of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Military coups were the reaction to rage regarding France's occupation and being a destabilizing force. France could either attempted to undermine Chad or Senegal through armed groups or terrorist organizations. Another alternative would be to try to create a sphere of influence between Algeria and Morocco. This would be halted due to the fact both Algeria and Morocco disagree with the status of the Western Sahara. Algeria tends to favor its independence and most of the African continent is moving to that political position. Chad and Senegal could align closer to Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. The developments might not be a rise of Pan-African consciousness, but a repudiation of French interference in the affairs of the Sahel region.
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