French President Emmanuel Macron is visiting Chad this weekend to meet with his country’s troops deployed in the Sahel region with Operation Barkhane.
The trip to Chad is Macron’s first since taking power, and is seen as a confirmation of commitment to the counterterror efforts in the vast Sahel region which continues to be plagued by militancy.
The French leader is scheduled to share a Christmas meal with the French soldiers in the capital N’Djamena.
4,500 personnel have been deployed for the operation in West and Central Africa, and is France’s largest overseas military mission.
Macron will renew his support for the G5 Sahel regional force that collaborates with Barkhane to counter the threat of terrorism in the region.
The G5 Sahel force is a joint military operation involving soldiers from Chad, Niger, Mauritania, Mali and Burkina Faso.
During his visit, President Macron will also visit his Chadian counterpart Idriss Deby for bilateral talks.
