CHAD: 16,000 soldiers from 10 central, west African states start joint military exercise

Record ID: 452871

  • Title: CHAD: 16,000 soldiers from 10 central, west African states start joint military exercise
  • Date: 15th November 2007
  • Summary: N'DJAMENA, CHAD (RECENT - NOVEMBER 10, 2007) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS HOLDING WEAPONS, MARCHING AND CHANTING (SOUNDBITE) (French) CHADIAN GENERAL, CHARGED WITH COMMUNICATIONS ON THE MANOEUVRES, DILLAH NDORMADINGAR SAYING: "It's to get the states of the CEEAC to work together under a multinational military command. We, we know each other, we understand each other, we have our own way of expressing ourselves which makes working together easier. No matter where we would send this brigade, they will be able to deal with that given situation." OFFICER GIVING ORDERS TO SOLDIERS CHADIAN FLAG VARIOUS OF SOLDIER EXECUTING ORDERS CHADIAN MINISTER INSPECTING TROOPS CHADIAN DEFENCE MINISTER (RIGHT) WALKING IN FRONT OF TROOPS (SOUNDBITE) (French) NDORMADINGAR SAYING: "The humanitarian aspect seems to us a lot more important that the military aspect. In each country, the soldiers learnt how to deal with war, what we are now learning is how to intervene on the humanitarian side." VARIOUS SOLDIERS MARCHING WITH A FLAG SOLDIERS HOLDING FLAGS OF VARIOUS COUNTRIES TAKING PART IN MANOEUVRES 11 (SOUNDBITE) (French) JOURNALIST DJENDOROUM MBAININGA SAYING: "The army should usually serve the population. It should be used in the building works, to build hospitals, schools, roads and all. But unfortunately, in our region, when we talk about the army we connect it with accession to power. I think that's a pity, but I think this is about to change (be rectified)." VARIOUS MILITARY FANFARE MARCHING SOLDIERS LEAVING THE CEREMONY SITE IN MILITARY TRUCKS
  • Embargoed: 30th November 2007 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Chad
  • Country: Chad
  • Topics: Defence / Military
  • Reuters ID: LVAE9RVCN7R5TA6AJJ7UTZT1NOAD
  • Story Text: Multinational military manoeuvres under the name "Barh el-Ghazel" started in Chad this week, bringing together 16,000 soldiers from some 10 Central African countries together in an effort to create a central African brigade that is capable of answering to humanitarian needs in the area.
    The exercise will continue for two weeks, after starting on November
    The exercise kicked off with a military ceremony in N'Djamena last Saturday (November 10), and will take place around the village of Barh el-Gazel, some 350 km ( miles) north-west of Chad's capital.
    The soldiers taking part come from countries adhering to the Central African economic community (CEEAC), together with the west African country of Togo, present at Chad's invitation.

    "It's to get the states of the CEEAC to work together under a multinational military command. We, we know each other, we understand each other, we have our own way of expressing ourselves which makes working together easier. No matter where we would send this brigade, they will be able to deal with that given situation," said General Dillah Ndormadingar, who is responsible for the communications department during the military exercise.
    The operation which will last until November 20 and is expected to train soldiers to work together under a central command and will also concentrate on objectives outside of regular military responsibilities.

    "The humanitarian aspect seems to us a lot more important that the military aspect. In each country, the soldiers learnt how to deal with war, what we are now learning is how to intervene on the humanitarian side,"
    Ndormadingar said.
    He added the objective is also to leave a positive impression on the local people in villages hosting the exercise.

    "The army should usually serve the population. It should be used in the building works, to build hospitals, schools, roads and all. But unfortunately, in our region, when we talk about the army we connect it with accession to power. I think that's a pity, but I think this is about to be rectified," said Djendoroum Mbaininga, a journalist present at the ceremony in N'Djamena.
    The CEEAC group of countries includes Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo Republic, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and Chad.
    Many of these countries have had armed conflicts on their territories, with Chad registering a need for a peacekeeping force since the conflict in the neighbouring Darfur spilled over its borders.
    The European Union hopes to soon deploy a peacekeeping force to protect civilians in Chad's volatile east, which borders on Sudan's Darfur region.
    United Nations aid officials in eastern Chad are caring for more than 400,000 Sudanese refugees from Darfur as well as tens of thousands of displaced Chadians.
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