By Xinhua
Paris : Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno Thursday made a “solemn appeal” to the European Union (EU) to quickly deploy its long-awaited peacekeeping mission in Chad and the Central African Republic, called EUFOR, to protect refugees from the Sudanese province of Darfur.
“I solemnly appeal to the European Union and the initiator of the idea, France, to ensure that the force is put on the ground as quickly as possible in order to alleviate the heavy burden that we are carrying today,” said Deby while speaking on France’s Europe 1 radio.
“The situation would have been much better if the EUFOR mission was already in place,” said the Chadian head of state, who is facing a rebel offensive on the capital N’Djamena that has so far left 160 people dead and forced thousands to flee into neighboring Cameroon.
“The international community must move to ensure the protection of refugees from the troubled western Sudanese region of Darfur,” said the president, adding that their “right of existence must be guaranteed.”
Dubbed EUFOR Chad-CAR, the EU operation will deploy 3,700 troops, of which 2,100 will be drawn from France, in eastern Chad and the Central African Republic to protect 450,000 refugees from Darfur as well as internally displaced persons from Chad and the Central African Republic.
The deployment of the long-delayed force was suspended after an alliance of three rebel groups launched an attack on N’Djamena on Jan. 28 raising doubts over the rationale of deploying such a force in a region engulfed in a violent conflict.
Speaking in N’Djamena Wednesday, French Defense Minister Herve Morin said that planning for the deployment of the force had resumed and that the force would be in place within six weeks.
Meanwhile, France is sending a detachment of Civil Security as well as humanitarian aide to Cameroon to assist Chadian refugees, France’s Directorate of Defense and Civil Security (DDSC) has announced.
According to the DDSC, a plane chartered by the foreign ministry was due to depart for Cameroon Thursday, carrying several humanitarian workers as well as 40 tons of cargo including drugs, tents, kitchen kits and jerry cans.