Battle for Maaten al-Sarra
| date | 5th September 1987 |
|---|---|
| place | Maaten al-Sarra 
|
| output | Victory of Chadian troops |
| Territorial changes | First incursion of Chadian troops into Libyan territory |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
| Troop strength | |
| 2000 | 2500 |
| losses | |
|
1,713 dead |
|
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The battle for Maaten al-Sarra was one of the most important battles in the final phase of the Libyan-Chadian border war , the so-called Toyota War.
prehistory
Even before the battle, the tide had turned in favor of Chad under Hissene Habre , who went on the offensive after the military and political defeat of the transitional government of national unity (GUNT) and the arrest of his adversary Oueddei . In 1978, Chad had to rely on French help in the battle for Ati to defend the capital N'Djamena against pro-Libyan fighters from the Forces Armées Populaires under Oueddei, but in 1987 the alliance had shifted and the Libyan army had no allies in Chadian More territory, while Habre was able to gather more and more militias and groups behind him, including defectors from the GUNT. The support of France had always been an important advantage for Chad in the course of the war, but operations in the Aouzou Strip or on Libyan territory were not supported by France. The attack on Maaten al-Sarra and the air force base there was primarily intended to weaken the Libyan air force.
course
The battle for Maaten al-Sarra began with a surprise attack by Chadian troops on the Libyan base. This attack represented the first crossing of the Chadian-Libyan border by troops of the Chadian army. Despite the slight numerical superiority, the Libyan resistance was quickly broken, as the attack hit the troops completely unprepared. 1713 Libyans were killed, and many more fled into the surrounding desert. In Maaten al-Sarra, Habre's troops destroyed 70 tanks and 26 aircraft belonging to the Libyan army .
consequences
As an act of revenge, the Libyan ruler Gaddafi ordered an air strike on N'Djamena, but the Libyan planes were shot down by French units. On September 11, 1987, the nine-year war was ended by an armistice.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Libya's defeat in Chad: Two blows for Ghaddafi . In: ZEIT ONLINE . ( zeit.de [accessed on May 23, 2018]).
- ↑ Jonathan Kandell: French Troops Said to Help Crush A Large Insurgent Force in Chad ' . ( nytimes.com [accessed May 23, 2018]).
- ^ History (Chad) . ISBN 978-1-159-01892-4 .
- ^ THE WORLD: CHAD; NDJAMENA SENDS TROOPS INTO LIBYA . ( nytimes.com [accessed May 23, 2018]).
- ^ John Greenwald: Disputes Raiders of the Armed Toyotas . In: Time . September 21, 1987, ISSN 0040-781X ( time.com [accessed May 23, 2018]).