By Moumine Ngarmbassa N'DJAMENA, April 25 (Reuters) - The European Union military force deployed to protect refugees and civilians in eastern Chad should not be kept there beyond its one-year mandate, a top EU defence chief said on Friday. French General Henri Bentegeat, who chairs the EU's Military Committee, said during a visit to the landlocked African country he believed member states would be reluctant to commit to an extension of the Chad force's 12-month mission. "Quite frankly, I believe it would be a very bad idea to envisage today a prolongation of EUFOR's mandate," Bentegeat told a news conference in the Chadian capital N'Djamena. After several months' delay, the European Union force (EUFOR), which is on a United Nations mission to provide security for humanitarian operations in east Chad and northeast Central African Republic, became operational last month. Some 2,200 EU troops, more than half from former colonial power France, are deployed in Chad out of a total force expected to reach 3,700. A U.N. Security Council Resolution authorises EUFOR to take "all necessary measures" to protect half a million Sudanese refugees and local civilians in east Chad who have fled violence affecting neighbouring Sudan's Darfur and parts of Chad. Bentegeat said European military commitments in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan meant that EU member governments were reluctant to provide forces for additional foreign deployments. "European countries committed (to EUFOR) for a year. But today they are certainly not ready to accept the prolongation of that mandate," Bentegeat said. EUFOR's mandate allows an extension of the one-year mission if this is deemed necessary and if the host state agrees. Besides France, more than a dozen European nations are contributing to the force, principally Ireland, Poland, Sweden, Austria and Romania. Bentegeat called for a review of how best EUFOR's protection role could continue after the end of its mission in March 2009. "This could be covered by support to Chad's forces or by specific U.N. missions, one could foresee a number of formulas," the French general said. "But I think EUFOR's mandate is for one year and it's reasonable to foresee that it will effectively end in March 2009," he added. The EU force suffered its first death last month when two French soldiers strayed across the border into Sudan and came under fire from the Sudanese army. A French soldier was shot dead and Sudan said five civilians were killed. EU commanders have said they will stay out of Chad's domestic conflict, which pits anti-government rebels against the army of Chadian President Idriss Deby. Rebel units attacked the capital N'Djamena in early February, temporarily delaying the deployment of the EU force. The rebels say France's military is propping up Deby and they may attack the European troops if these interfere in their operations against government forces. (For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://africa.reuters.com/) (Writing by Pascal Fletcher; Editing by Giles Elgood)
Suspects accused of recruiting volunteers to fight coalition troops in Iraq arrive for their trial in Sale April 24, 2008. 27 members from "Tetouan Cell" are currently on trial, court officials ...
Refugees & displacement
