- Title: CHAD: FRENCH FORCES WITHDRAW FROM CHAD AND EGYPTIAN AID ARRIVES.
- Date: 19th September 1979
- Summary: 1. GV: Jeep driving onto Amphibious vehicle (2 shots) 0.06 2. GV: Vehicle 0.13 3. GV: Tank going onto craft (5 shots) 0.35 4. GV: Craft departing 0.37 5. GV: Vehicle waiting to be transported over river. (3 shots) 0.46 6. GV: More vehicles going onto craft. (3 shots) 0.58 7. GV: Craft departing 1.02 8. Egyptian military aircraft arriving in Chard (2 shots) 1.09 9. SV: Crew members being greeted 1.17 10. GV: Aircraft on tarmac 1.20 11. SV: Provisions and medicines on aircraft. (2 shots) 1.30 12. GV PAN: Aircraft on tarmac 1.36 Initials RH/ Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 4th October 1979 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: N'DJAMENA, CHAD
- Country: Chad
- Reuters ID: LVA86WA2QP95N9CFYJBO9BZKDAYB
- Story Text: In chad a nw national army is to be set up under the command of the National Revolutionary Council, according to a report by the Chad Liberation Front (FROLINAT) radio on Sunday (16 September). five of the nine Chad factions which signed a peace agreement in August bringing and end to their long-standing feud have agreed to disband their armies and merge their forces into one National army. The five factions involved come from the north and belong to the Provisional Communal Action Front (F.A.C). However southern factions are still refusing to allow their forces to merge into the national force. Meanwhile French troops are beginning to withdraw from Chad following the peace agreement.
SYNOPSIS: The French military presence in Chad is coming to an end. France has started to withdraw some of its troops and military equipment from Chad following the establishment of new transitional government. A French contingent has been stationed in Chad ever since the country became independent from France in 1960. But withdrawal of the two and half thousand French troops was a part of the peace plan worked out in Lagos in August between nine of Chad's warring factions.
However following a request from the new government, France has agreed to retain some forces in the country until and African peacekeeping force can be established.
Thirteen congolese officers arrived in chad on Monday (17 September) to prepare for the arrival of peacekeeping units from Benin, Guinea and the Congo.
The Lagos agreement ended a log-standing feud which erupted into a civil war last February and brought hardship. some of the need for aid is met by Egypt. Tens of thousands of people died in the fighting which left the country virtually partitioned between the Moslems in the North and the Christians in the South. Many people are homeless and the country is facing a server food shortage. Egypt and several other countries are sending food and medical provisions, while the Red Cross is trying to reunite families and take care of the homeless.
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