UN greenlights EU troops for Chad
The UN security council has authorised the deployment of an EU force in the eastern parts of Chad and the Central African Republic to protect civilians from the spill-over violence from neighbouring Sudan where the Darfur crisis continues.
The 15 members of the UN governing body unanimously approved a 10-page resolution drafted by France, which gives the green light for the deployment of around 3,000 troops by the end of this year beginning as early as next month.
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The "multidimensional presence" is planned to last for one year and they will be allowed to use military force to improve security, deliver humanitarian aid, and protect civilians whether they are internally displaced citizens or Sudanese refugees.
The troops will be mostly French – the two countries are both former French colonies – and led by a UK general. They will also protect around 300 UN police officers tasked with monitoring camps for Darfur refugees and internally displaced people, who number an estimated 236,000 and 173,000 respectively in Chad alone.
EU defence ministers will meet in Portugal on Friday (28 September) to give the final go-ahead for the deployment of the troops.
Belgium, Finland, Italy and Sweden have pledged support for the EU force, according to media reports.
In Darfur, at least 200,000 people are estimated to have died and 2.5 million have fled their homes since fighting flared in 2003, when African rebels took up arms against the Arab-dominated Sudan government, in a conflict started over water resources.
The UN is already pushing for deployment of a 26,000-strong joint African Union-UN peacekeeping mission inside Darfur to replace a struggling 6,000-man Africa Union force.
