Yaounde (The Uttam Hindu): France started the withdrawal of its troops from Chad, with some fighter jets taking off from a French base in the Chadian capital of N'Djamena, according to the Chadian army. In a brief statement, Chanane Issakha Acheikh, Chadian army spokesperson, said on Tuesday that the public would be informed of each stage of the withdrawal until the final departure of all French forces, Xinhua news agency reported. Last month, Chad announced that it had ended a security and defence cooperation agreement with France, stressing that it was time for Chad to assert its full sovereignty and redefine its strategic partners according to national priorities.