2023-06-19 12:08:45
The spread of an event at the beginning of the week by French forces on the borders of Chad and Sudan “without authorization”, revealed the cover for crises under the ashes, whether between Paris and some parties to the authority in Chad over state management, or between France and Russia over influence.
Two political analysts specializing in Chad and the Sahel region explain the motives for the French presence in this border region, the Chadian reaction to it, and its relationship to the ongoing Sudanese crisis.
The Chadian Republican Guard stopped a French force in the city of Adre on the border between Sudan and Chad, during a tour of President Mohamed Idriss Deby in the city, on Saturday, to inspect the situation with the presence of Sudanese refugees. and to ensure the effective closure of the border with Sudan.
The director of the Center for Monitoring Conflicts in the African Sahel, Mohamed Ali Kilani, explains the reason for the Chadian objection to the French deployment, that “there is a French tendency to support armed groups towards the Sudanese border, and the French agreed with Chadian generals, but there are disagreements within the Chadian army about the matter; which is This led to Mohammed Deby’s visit to the border area.
Kilani adds another French motive for being present in this border region, which is Paris’s desire to distance the United States from the Francophone region, especially the Central African Republic, which borders Chad and Sudan.
question marks
According to the explanation of the Chadian political analyst Jibreen Issa to “Sky News Arabia”, the French force was roaming near the “Adre” border with Sudan, in conjunction with the presence of President Deby; So the Republican Guard stopped her, disarmed her, and interrogated her about the reason for her presence, which he attributed, as expected, to:
• The presence of the French forces took place without authorization and coordination with the Chadian army and the Republican Guard forces.
• This presence without coordination with the army and guards, and at the same time as Debbie’s presence in the city, raised concerns and question marks.
• Deby fears Chad’s involvement in the Sudanese conflict.
• There is a major Franco-Chadian dispute over state management, as well as over several files, including Libya, Central Africa and the Sudan crisis.
• There are also voices inside France dissatisfied with the performance and orientations of Mohamed Deby, with the rise of a current within the Chadian authority to get rid of the old guard loyal to Paris in the army, which threatens to enter Chad into a new conflict.
In recent months, Chad has witnessed demonstrations calling for the exit of French forces from Chad, and the opposition movement “Waket Tama” organized demonstrations in the capital, N’Djamena, in which banners reading “France is outside Chad” were raised, and demonstrators chanted “No to France, yes to Russia,” and “We want Russia.” As in Mali,” and some of them raised the flag of Russia next to the flag of Chad.
French presence in Chad
The deployment of French forces in the countries of the Sahel region in Central and West Africa, including Chad, depends on partnership agreements, and the French military presence is often justified by cooperation in combating terrorism or rebel movements.
On the other hand, Paris considers its presence in that region an extension of its political, economic and cultural influence, which it built by military force when it occupied a large number of countries in the region in the last century.
Paris and N’Djamena’s relations were characterized by strength during the presidency of Idriss Deby (1996-2021), who was strongly supported by France, and after his assassination at the hands of rebel groups that supported his son Muhammad Idris’ assumption of the presidency of the transitional period.
In Abéché, Chad’s second city close to the Sudanese border, there is still a contingent of about 30 French soldiers.
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