EUFOR Tchad / RCA

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Logo of the EUFOR Tchad / RCA

EUFOR Tchad / RCA was a European Union military mission in Chad and the Central African Republic from March 2008 to March 2009.

history

Map of Chad
Refugee camp in Chad.
Source: Czech Ministry of Defense

Since July 2007 there have been considerations about a possible EU mission in Chad. On September 25, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1778 , authorizing a UN mission to the Central African Republic and Chad ( MINURCAT ). The EU was asked to set up a bridging mission. The plan envisaged a deployment period of one year from the declaration of operational readiness and the deployment of around 3,700 soldiers from fourteen countries.

On October 15, 2007, the Council of the EU unanimously approved the mission. In January 2008, the advance detachment began. Austria , too , which supported the mission with up to 160 soldiers (with special forces as the most important element), began to deploy its first troops on January 30th.

On March 15, EUFOR established the Initial Operating Capability. In May 2008, there were 2,732 EUFOR soldiers in Chad and the northern Central African Republic. Three battalions were stationed in eastern Chad in the Iriba, Forchane and Goz Beida area. Parts were in Birao , in the Central African Republic.

On January 14, 2009, the United Nations Security Council passed resolution 1861, on the basis of which the bridging mission ended on March 15, 2009 with the transfer of responsibility to MINURCAT.

assignment

The use of EUFOR was intended to accompany civilian measures. Your tasks were:

  • Protect civilians, especially refugees and internally displaced persons,
  • to support humanitarian aid and the freedom of movement of humanitarian aid personnel by improving the security situation and
  • Protect UN personnel, equipment and facilities and ensure the freedom of movement of UN personnel.

organization

guide

The operation was managed by the Operational Headquarters (OHQ) in Mont Valérien near Paris . Operation Commander was Irish Lieutenant General Patrick Nash.

The French Brigadier General Jean-Philippe Ganascia was the force commander in the area . Its command posts were located in Chad in N'Djamena (Rear Force Headquarters) and Abéché (FHQ).

Nations involved

EUFOR soldiers in Chad.
Source: Czech Ministry of Defense

In May 2008, 2,732 soldiers from the following nations were stationed in the operational area:

In addition, soldiers from Albania , Croatia , Cyprus , Greece , Hungary , Lithuania , Slovakia and Germany were involved in the operation. Some of these were used at the Operational Headquarters in Paris .

criticism

The mission has been subject to constant criticism, most of all its impartiality has been called into question. France , the former colonial power of Chad, provided most of the soldiers and the commanding general on site. In addition to the EUFOR soldiers, France had already stationed around 1,100 men in Chad for a long time, some of which EUFOR relied on. France is also accused of supplying the Chadian government with equipment and ammunition, conducting reconnaissance flights and fighting rebels on the government side. France asserts that it will not intervene in the conflict and will only help Chad within the framework of the military cooperation agreement signed in 1976.

Victim

Two French soldiers crossed the border towards Sudan. According to French sources, this was done without intent. They were then attacked, apparently by the Sudanese military. One soldier was killed and the second wounded. When a French troop wanted to retrieve the missing body from Sudanese territory, a gun battle broke out between the French and the Sudanese. According to the media, a Sudanese soldier was killed in this battle from Sudan. On March 5, 2008, Sudan announced that it had found the body of the French soldier. During the rescue, one of the grenades the soldier was carrying exploded, killing 4 civilians.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Text of Resolution 1778 on the Security Council Report page (PDF; 43 kB)
  2. ↑ List of troop strengths by country in May 2008 on the homepage of the Council of the European Union (PDF; 49 kB)
  3. ↑ Order from EUFOR Tchad / RCA on the EU homepage for the mission ( memento of the original dated December 2, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ; Accessed March 21, 2009 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / consilium.europa.eu
  4. ^ "Force Strength by Nations in AOO" (as of May 2008); (PDF; 48kb)
  5. ↑ Léon Koungou: "Eufor in Chad - French use with EU label" in Le Monde diplomatique February 8, 2008 ; Accessed March 21, 2009
  6. ↑ Operation EUFOR Tchad / RCA and the EU's Common Security and Defense Policy. , US Army War College, October 2010
  7. ↑ Associated Press: Sudan Finds French Soldier Killed Near Border, New York Times, March 6, 2008 ; accessed on January 23, 2013