France is trying to rebuild military cooperation with Chad, but not in the old format. After being pushed out of N’Djamena in January 2025, Paris is now looking for a smaller, more discreet and more flexible presence. The aim is not to recreate the former French military footprint in the Sahel, but to regain access, influence and operational relevance in one of Africa’s most important security corridors. According to Le Monde , Paris and N’Djamena are working on a new bilateral military