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00:00After Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, the French army called in to help fight the Islamist
00:06insurgency in 2013 is expected to pull its last troops out of the Sahel region.
00:14The foreign minister said France's strategy is being quote, redefined.
00:19Hours after Chadian authorities said foreign troops were no longer welcome.
00:26We are reviewing our military positioning.
00:30The goal is to redefine our partnerships with our African partners so our association can
00:35better meet their needs, be faster and more flexible.
00:41The decision by Chad to no longer host foreign military bases came hours after Jean-Noel
00:47Barreau's visit.
00:48In a camp for Sudanese refugees, he criticized powers who have sent weapons to the war-torn
00:54country.
00:55He also warned Sudan's neighbors against allowing such weapon transfers.
01:00Barreau did not meme Chad, but his statement was not well received.
01:05I believe France's foreign minister irritated his Chadian partners.
01:15For months now, Chadian diplomats and leaders have worked hard to show world powers that
01:20they are not lending a hand to foreign powers trying to intervene and meddle in the war
01:24in Sudan.
01:28Another element may have pushed Chad to change its attitude towards France.
01:33The fact that legislative elections are set to take place there next month.
01:38This could be a message sent to and heard by voters.
01:44I think the Chadian government is right to ask for the departure of French soldiers because
01:49our country has been independent for 66 years and the French military's goal is to steal
01:54our natural resources.
01:55Nothing good about it.
01:58France's base in Chad is the last one in the Sahel region where the departure of its troops
02:04could also lead to a loss of influence on the diplomatic and economic fronts.