section_path: Background
section_name: Background
paragraph_text: Background
  
  Since 2014, Boko Haram has been active in western Chad, launching cross-border attacks from the Nigerian border against civilian and military targets in western Chad. In 2024, attacks by the militant group in Chad intensified, culminating in a raid on a Chadian military base near the village of Ngouboua, which left 40 Chadian soldiers dead. Additionally, Chad has faced groups linked to Islamic State and Al Qaeda.
  
  The increased violence by Boko Haram comes amid a withdrawal of French forces from the region. France, traditionally a strong ally of the Chadian government, had provided military aid to Chad for decades, offering training for the Chadian military and intervening with airstrikes against insurgents. On 29 November 2024, during a visit by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot to N'Djamena, the Chadian government announced an end to Chad's defense agreement with France, and requested French military personnel to leave the country. By December, most French troops had left Chad, with the remaining troops due to leave by the end of January. President Déby has pushed to have closer ties to Hungary, China, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates.