The Senegalese prime minister and the Chadian foreign minister have condemned claims made by Emmanuel Macron regarding negotiations about the withdrawal of French troops from several African countries,

Senegalese and Chadian leaders say the ousting of French troops from their territories was their sovereign decision, rejecting remarks from French President Emmanuel Macron that suggested otherwise.

Chad’s Foreign Minister, Abderaman Koulamallah, condemned Macron’s remarks as “disrespectful” to Africans and highlighted Chad’s sacrifices during both World Wars.

Macron said Monday that African nations failed to say thank you to France for deploying its military to the Sahel region