DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Chad’s government said it is ending a defense cooperation agreement with France, its former colonial ruler, to redefine the nation’s sovereignty.

The decision marks a historic turning point since the Central African nation gained independence more than six decades ago, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abderaman Koulamallah said in a statement Thursday.

Chad was one of the last countries in the region in which France maintained a large military presence, having been ousted in recent years from Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso after years of fighting Islamic extremists alongside regional troops. Those countries have inched closer to Russia, which has mercenaries deployed across the Sahel, the vast expanse below the Sahara desert.