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French Army Moves To Sudan Border
BBC ^ | 8-1-2004

Posted on 07/31/2004 7:47:00 PM PDT by blam

French army moves to Sudan border

Darfur has been described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis

France is deploying 200 soldiers to help secure Chad's eastern border with Sudan's conflict-torn Darfur region. The French Ambassador to Chad, Jean Pierre Bercot, said the troops would also bring humanitarian aid to tens of thousands of Darfur refugees in Chad.

Sudan-backed Arab militias has driven about a million civilians from their homes and mounted raids inside Chad.

Sudan said that despite reservations it would comply with a UN resolution ordering it to rein in the militias.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Dr Mustapha Osman Ismail said government's Council of Ministers' would take a final decision at a meeting on Sunday.

Up to 50,000 people have died since the conflict began in early 2003.

The Janjaweed, the main Arab militia group allied with the government, has been blamed for mass rapes, killings and burning of villages in Darfur.

'Securing border'

France has about 1,000 troops in Chad, who until now have been helping to promote stability and train Chadian forces for peacekeeping duties.

DARFUR CONFLICT

1m displaced
Up to 50,000 killed
More at risk from disease and starvation
Arab militias accused of ethnic cleansing
Sudan blames rebels for starting conflict

Ambassador Bercot told the BBC from Chad's capital, N'Djamena, that 200 French soldiers would now be deployed to Chad's eastern frontier with Sudan to help the aid effort and watch out for possible incursions.

"The French government and President Chirac wanted our troops here in Chad to assist the African Union in its observation role, as well as in securing the area on the Chadian side of the border," he said.

Mr Bercot said that for the time being the French contingent was to remain inside Chad after he was asked if the troops would engage with the Janjaweed if the militias crossed the border.

He stressed that the French troops would work alongside Chadian forces "with the complete authority and co-operation" of the government in N'Djamena.

Given that the frontier stretches through 1,200 kilometres (745 miles) of inhospitable terrain, this could be no more than a token presence, the BBC's Africa editor, Grant Ferrett, reports.

Nevertheless, the French military presence adds to the impression that the rest of the world is becoming more willing to take action over Darfur, our editor adds.

Aid agencies in Chad who have been struggling to help some 180,000 Sudanese refugees have welcomed the French move to use its military might to help supply the refugee camps.

A French military cargo plane with humanitarian aid had already left for eastern Chad.

Earlier promises

The US-drafted resolution demands that Sudan to make good on promises it made on 3 July to rein in the fighters.

It calls for UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to issue a report in 30 days on the progress made in each of those areas.

The resolution was only adopted after the US dropped the word "sanctions" and added economic and diplomatic "measures".

Sudan's UN ambassador Elfatih Erwa, and its ambassador to the African Union, Osman al-Said, separately said Khartoum would comply.

"We are not happy with the resolution, but we are going to implement it - we have no other option," Mr al-Said told reporters in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa earlier this week.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell said during a visit to the Middle East: "They [The Sudan government] can say whatever they wish to say. The Security Council has spoken (and) in a rather strong vote."


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: africa; army; border; chad; darfur; french; frenchtroops; moves; muslims; sudan
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1 posted on 07/31/2004 7:47:02 PM PDT by blam
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To: blam

200 soldiers will bring relief to the tens of thousands of refugees. Oh sure.


2 posted on 07/31/2004 7:48:46 PM PDT by Arkinsaw
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To: blam

Here comes another conflict that the French will try to get us in...Where is Saint Joan of Arc when you need her?


3 posted on 07/31/2004 7:49:28 PM PDT by presidentbowen (God Bless Ronald Reagan!)
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To: Arkinsaw
Nope surrender lessons and white flags in the great french tradition since 1870.
4 posted on 07/31/2004 7:50:38 PM PDT by dts32041 (Gen Karpinski A bullet, A Gun, a Room, her only honorable solution (MP Officer Not))
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To: blam

Gdo help those people...last time we had UN "safe zones" the Serbs used them to help collect people to murder.


5 posted on 07/31/2004 7:51:32 PM PDT by dinok
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To: blam
Us Forces Hunt Down Al-Qa'eda In Sudan

"It has, however, allowed small teams of American soldiers to pass into the country as part of official visits, such as last month's trip by Colin Powell. A team of five special forces soldiers broke off from the Powell entourage for a week-long mission in the Kurush mountains, where aerial surveillance had established a list of villages where suspicious activity had been detected."

6 posted on 07/31/2004 7:51:40 PM PDT by blam
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To: blam
French army moves to Sudan border

Why move? Can't they just email or fax their surrender?

7 posted on 07/31/2004 7:52:10 PM PDT by Drango (Stupidity is the only infinitely renewable resource)
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To: blam

Hmmmm. French "soldiers" moving from Chad to the Sudan. There must be something very frightening in Chad for this to happen.


8 posted on 07/31/2004 7:52:49 PM PDT by MCH
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To: blam

This is where I find something nice about France; good move.


9 posted on 07/31/2004 7:54:37 PM PDT by latrans (marbles lost)
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To: latrans

I agree. The first good thing I've heard about France in a long time.


10 posted on 07/31/2004 7:58:51 PM PDT by jwalburg (Hatriots for Kerry)
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To: dts32041

Believe it or not, France was instrumental in helping Chad defeat Libya when Libya invaded Chad in the "Toyota War"; the French air force dominated the skies, and they gave the Chadians Milan anti-tank missles, which they mounted in the flatbeds of Toyota pickup trucks. Ended up massacring Libyan armor formations, killed hundreds of Libyan tanks.


11 posted on 07/31/2004 8:13:15 PM PDT by Strategerist
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To: MCH

I hope they remembered to bring their white flags.


12 posted on 07/31/2004 8:16:49 PM PDT by WestVirginiaRebel (Democrats are Communists in Americans' clothing.)
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To: blam

"French Army Moves To Sudan Border"

They could only find 200 to join their Army? /sarcasm


13 posted on 07/31/2004 8:31:21 PM PDT by TheLion
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To: blam

So I guess it's ok for the French to act alone...


14 posted on 07/31/2004 8:33:20 PM PDT by Anitius Severinus Boethius
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To: Strategerist

Actually it was the Legion estrange and the Frog air force, that help chad during the Toyota war.


15 posted on 07/31/2004 8:44:19 PM PDT by dts32041 (Gen Karpinski A bullet, A Gun, a Room, her only honorable solution (MP Officer Not))
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To: Arkinsaw

200 soldiers to assist 180,000 refugees, not to mention fighting off the insurgents,...Hmmm, 1 soldier to help every 900 refugees while conducting military actions.

Why am I not convinced France even begins to comprehend the challenge?


16 posted on 07/31/2004 8:52:18 PM PDT by Cvengr (;^))
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To: Drango
Why move? Can't they just email or fax their surrender?

Maybe they just wanted to watch some unarmed civilians get slaughtered.

17 posted on 07/31/2004 8:53:41 PM PDT by pepperhead (Kennedy's floats, Mary Jo's don't!)
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To: blam

This unilateral action by France should be given some serious consideration. We demand that these cowsissies cooperate with the international community. It takes a village, ya know.


18 posted on 07/31/2004 9:16:11 PM PDT by numberonepal (Whatever happened to freedom, liberty, and capitalism?)
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To: latrans

I agree. Give credit where credit is due.


19 posted on 07/31/2004 9:22:19 PM PDT by dc-zoo
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To: blam
French army moves to Sudan border

To quote that US military officer from "We Were Soldiers Once...":

"The French Army? What's that?"

20 posted on 07/31/2004 9:32:24 PM PDT by BushMeister
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