Posted on 02/04/2008 6:20:06 PM PST by blam
France given green light to intervene in Chad
By Sebastien Berger in Addis Ababa
Last Updated: 2:04am GMT 05/02/2008
The United Nations appeared to give the green light to France last night to intervene militarily to defend the president of Chad from rebels attempting to oust him.
France, the former colonial power, has around 1,500 troops in Chad.
French soldiers helps foreign residents to evacuate in the Chadian capital of N'Djamena
In a carefully worded statement, the UN Security Council called upon member states "to provide support in conformity with the United Nations charter as requested by the government of Chad".
The message came after two days of fighting in the capital N'Djamena which has left many dead and forced thousands to flee the country.
The rebels withdrew on Monday but threatened to return to topple President Idriss Deby.
"It is essential that in this very difficult moment, President Deby get all the help he needs," said Jean-Maurice Ripert, the France's UN ambassador.
After the adoption of the statement, Mr Ripert was repeatedly asked if France was prepared to provide military assistance to Chad's government.
He avoided a direct answer but did not rule it out.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the US ambassador to the UN, was asked if he expected the French to get more actively involved in Chad.
"The French have the expertise and the lead on this issue," he said. "Should they decide to do more, they have the support of the Security Council."
So far Paris has resisted intervening as the Sudanese-backed rebels have fought government forces, trapping Mr Deby in the presidential palace for several days.
France has instead provided logistical and intelligence support.
The rebels say that they have been attacked by helicopters from a French military base, and officials revealed on Monday that there had been an exchange of fire between rebels and French troops guarding the airport, where hundreds of foreigners are being evacuated.
A European peacekeeping force was due to arrive in Chad last week, but the deployment was postponed because of the violence.
Yesterday, thousands of people fled the capital to Cameroon and an aid worker said "many" had been killed.
"There are many deaths, the morgue is full and the Chadian Red Cross will not start picking up bodies from the roads until tomorrow," said the aid worker.
Khartoum's notoriously anti-Western authorities are supporting the rebels in an effort to eliminate the prospect of EU troops being stationed on its borders.
The Chadian military proclaimed victory, with the operational commander Gen Mahamat Ali Abdallah, insisting that the rebels had been "completely routed".
Sudan insists that it is not involved in Chad, although analysts point out that both countries' governments have backed insurgencies in the other.
France, the former colonial power, has around 1,500 troops in Chad.
yes those terrible colonial days
What to surrender Blam
Ironically, France has chosen to intervene on the side of the rebels to teach them how to lose.
Where were they when we had problems with the hanging chads in Florida?
“...all the help he needs.”
I wonder if that means 10MM in a Swiss bank and a one way plane ticket to the south of France.
So the UN says its OK for another country to come in an use military forces to kill another countries people to protect a corrupt government.
Ok, but who gave Chad the green light to interfere in Florida’s elections?
Why does France need permission of the UN to intervene in a former colony, one which they have supported over the years???
not if they send in the french foreign legion.
Ironically, France has chosen to intervene on the side of the rebels to teach them how to lose.
not if they send in the french foreign legion.
Those machine guns are no match for our white flags!
Is this a bad time to remember that we ended up in Vietnam trying to clean up the mess the french left behind?
Without seeing any devices, I only guess the extra troops sent are 11th Para (very tough outfit) or even the Legion 2eme REP.
The 13th DBLE (Djibouti) is on alert - they are an extremely tough outfit.
Any of these units (or parts thereof) are more than a match for any ‘rebel’ forces in the OA.
Folks on FR love to trash the French military - I would note the 13th DBLE - a unit less manpower than a US Brigade - held a Division-wide front in GW1, and he Iraqi forces fled in terror - such is the well deserved rep of the 13th DBLE.
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