Following repeated controversies, the Republic of Chad announcement on April 3 that it intends to withdraw its 850 troops from the African-led International Support Mission in the Central African Republic (MISCA).
Any hopes for a resolution to the crisis have been dashed due to Chad’s abandonment of the international mission because unlike France, Chad is the decisive player in the future of the Central African Republic.
The final straw for Chad’s role in the MISCA mission came after a March 29 incident in Bangui, the Central African Republic’s capital. Chadian soldiers allegedly returned fire after having grenades thrown at them, resulting in the deaths of more than twenty-four people. The outcry against Chadian soldiers was fierce, leading to the Chadian Minister of Foreign Affairs to liken the backlash as a “media lynching”.
A subsequent inquiry by the United Nations concluded that Chadian forces were not provoked but acted out of aggression, further inflaming the situation.
The withdrawal is problematic because Chadian troops are some of the best trained in Africa and have been a critical ally of France, having played a pivotal role in the French intervention in northern Mali in 2011. In addition, Chadian troops bore the brunt of fighting with the Christian anti-balaka militia, taking on numerous casualties. Thus, the withdrawal of highly trained soldiers capable of acting as enforcers will surely be felt. Moreover, the European Union forces being deployed to the capital’s airport and other strategic areas will not make up the difference.
Source: nationalinterest.org
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