Chad

Rebels take third town

Article published on the 2008-06-16 Latest update 2008-06-17 08:34 TU

Irish soldiers, part of the Eufor force, on patrol in eastern Chad.
(Photo: Reuters)

Chadian rebels claimed to have taken the town of Biltine, some 750 kilometres from the capital of Ndjamena, their stated objective, on Monday. Biltine is the third town rebel forces have taken since their offensive against President Idriss Deby’s government began on 11 June.

The European force, Eufor, which has about 3,000 soldiers, most of them French, on the ground, entered the fight for the first time over the weekend. A group of Irish Eufor soldiers engaged in a short firefight with the rebels on Saturday while protecting the town of Goz Beida.

On Monday President Idriss Deby accused the European troops of cooperating with the rebels.

"We welcomed Eufor with joy... but it took us by surprise to see, in the first hostile situation, this force cooperating with the invadors," Deby said in a televised address.

The European force deployment began in February 2008, as an effort to protect refugees from the neighbouring Darfur region. However, after the French intervened in February to assure the security of Deby’s government, under attack from a rebel advance, many see the Eufor as a protection force for Deby's government.

"The Eufors are there mainly to protect the refugees … their job is not to intervene in any civil war,” said former US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Herman Cohen. “It sounds to me like there’s an anticipation that the rebels are going to be successful this time … If there’s no French protection now, it does not look good for the government of Chad.”

 

France’s Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, during a visit to Côte d’Ivoire Monday, denied that France would intervene in anyway during the present conflict, saying that an Irish general is in charge of the European force and would be making all the decisions.

France has maintained a troop presence in Chad since 1986.