YAOUNDE, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno has announced the definitive withdrawal of French troops from the Central African country on Jan. 31.

"I welcome the withdrawal of the first wave of French forces stationed in Chad. Other waves ... will follow until the complete withdrawal on Jan. 31, 2025," Deby said in a televised address to the nation Tuesday night.

He said he was convinced that the decision was a response to a "common and legitimate aspiration" of the Chadian people.

"Any fight for independence or sovereignty has its sacrifices and we owe them for future generations, just as our elders made sacrifices, to bequeath us a standing country," the Chadian president said.

In November, Chad announced the end of the security and defense cooperation agreement with France before part of the French troops began to leave the Central African country on Dec. 10. Enditem

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