CHAD:The Defence Forces have played down the threat posed by a Chadian rebel group that yesterday declared a "state of war" against French and foreign military forces in an apparent warning to the forthcoming EU deployment to Chad.
This week the Dáil approved the participation of up to 450 troops in the mission, which is mandated to protect civilians and facilitate aid in the country's eastern region.
Chad's Union of Forces for Democracy and Development (UFDD) rebel group issued a statement declaring it now "considers itself to be in a state of war against the French army, or against any other foreign forces in the national territory".
The move comes after hundreds were killed this week in clashes between UFDD rebel fighters and government forces, breaking a peace deal signed last month between Chad's president Idriss Deby and the country's main rebel groups.
France retains a military presence in its former colony under a bilateral defence accord and French troops have assisted Deby in his battle against rebel factions on a number of occasions.
The UFDD claims French military aircraft had recently flown reconnaissance flights over their positions for the government. The rebels have denounced France's support for Deby before but have stopped short of engaging directly with French troops stationed in the country.
The EU force, around half of which will be French, faces a delay in deployment due to a shortage of essential equipment such as helicopters.
In a statement, the Irish Defence Forces said any possible delay was "completely unrelated" to the UFDD's declaration of war. Playing down the threat the group may pose to EU troops when they arrive in Chad, it said: "Breakdowns in ceasefires are not unusual in these types of conflict situations. Obviously, in the case of Chad the level of violence, if the reports are to be believed, is more extensive. That is the reason why we are deploying professional troops with extensive force protection assets, significantly beyond that which is available to the rebels."
In a telephone interview with The Irish Times, Chad's foreign minister Ahmat Allam-Mi accused Sudan of backing rebels in a bid to block the EU deployment and insisted the Chadian government had now brought the situation under control.
Chadian officials claimed earlier this week that government forces had seized Sudanese-supplied arms, munitions and vehicles from the UFDD.
"As far as we are concerned, Sudan has failed to discourage the international intervention in eastern Chad. It will have no impact on the EU force," he said.
The Sudanese government routinely dismisses Chadian allegations that it supports rebels battling to oust Deby.
Asked if he was concerned that a further deterioration could prompt some nations to rethink their involvement in the EU mission, Mr Allam-Mi said such a move would play into the hands of the Sudanese government. "That would be a complete capitulation to Sudan and that is exactly what they want," he said.