Delayed Chad peacekeeping force flies in

EU peacekeepers are arriving in Chad, now that the government of President Idriss Déby has regained control of the capital, Ndjamena.

Rebels briefly entered Ndjamena at the beginning of the month but were unable to gain control of the airport or the presidential palace, and then retreated.

Around 160 people were reported killed in the fighting and thousands of civilians fled to neighbouring Cameroon. Many returned last weekend (9-10 February) as the situation stabilised.

According to Dan Harvey, a spokesperson for the EU force, which aims to protect refugees fleeing from Darfur, flights began on Tuesday (12 February) delivering equipment to an advance party of 258 EU peacekeepers who stayed in Chad throughout the rebel assault. An additional 100 troops were brought in in the first 24 hours. "In effect we lost one week," Harvey said.

The force will reach initial operational capacity, with personnel from Belgium, France, Ireland, Sweden and Austria plus an Italian field hospital, in four to six weeks’ time, according to Harvey. The EU mission will eventually comprise more than 3,700 soldiers from 14 countries.

Also on Monday, ECHO, the humanitarian aid department of the European Commission, re-opened its office in Ndjamena, according to an official. Two international staff had been evacuated to Cameroon the previous Wednesday (6 February) but returned in time to re-start operations together with five national staff.

The office was not affected by the fighting or by looting, though the home of one of the international staff was ransacked and one vehicle stolen.

Sixteen international staff and dependents of the Commission’s delegation in Ndjamena, which is separate from the ECHO office, were evacuated on 5 February. They were subsequently repatriated to Europe. A spokesperson for Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the European commissioner for external relations, said that the delegation was currently closed and that operations were continuing from Gabon and Brussels. The Commission is considering re-opening the office in the very near future.

More than 1,200 foreigners were evacuated by the French, acting as lead state. This was the first time the lead state concept, adopted by the EU last June, had been put into practice.

According to ECHO staff, the situation in the country is gradually returning to normal. On Wednesday (13 February), a staff member travelled to the eastern town of Abéché to assess the humanitarian situation in the refugee camps in the region, which borders the Sudan province of Darfur. Abéché will eventually also serve as the headquarters of the EU’s peacekeeping force.

EU peacekeepers are arriving in Chad, now that the government of President Idriss Déby has regained control of the capital, Ndjamena.