France has started the withdrawal of its military from Chad with the departure of two warplanes that were based in the capital N'Djamena, the French army said, two weeks after Chad said it was ending its defence cooperation pact with Paris.

France flew out the two Mirage fighter jets it had stationed in Chad on Tuesday, signaling the beginning of its withdrawal of military forces from the former French colony in central Africa that last month broke off its defense cooperation agreement with Paris.

France's military presence in Chad has ended following the departure of two combat jets and a tanker aeroplane from the capital N'Djamena.