Chad: Europe goes out to the UN

The loop

europe its fifth military operation, on what it describes as a success: EUFOR contingent of 3 300 troops deployed in Central Africa, will relay tomorrow a UN force to take over the mission and, initially, the bulk of the troops.

General Bentgeat Henri, leader of the European Military Staff, spoke of an "unexpected success in the eyes of those who, even Brussels, had doubted the capacity of the EU. " Twelve months after a full Chadian rebel offensive on N'Djamena, the largest ever military mission led by Europe has achieved a double goal, he says: to halve the violent incidents in the troubled regions of Chad and allow first return in the villages. "The flow of displaced persons is reversed, the pump is ," says the French general.

France, which provides half the size of EUFOR (1 650 men), is preparing to withdraw 850. The rest come under peacekeeper, a logistics battalion of 450 men in particular. Paris has committed to allow a smooth transition and to accompany the rise of the new UN force, MINURCAT II. In Chad, France has only 1 100 troops stationed in twenty-three years under the scheme .

Poland, Ireland, Austria and Sweden, other major contributors among the 23 Eufor that account, will keep most of their troops under the flag of the United Nations for several months.

Nearly 500 000 people are hoping the fallout, Sudanese refugees from Darfur and displaced Chadians and Central African Republic. The tension is rising a notch in the region with the arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir by the International Justice. Eventually MINURCAT must mobilize 5 500 men. It relies on the contributions of Togo and Ghana, two contingents that European military judge "solid."

View from Brussels, EUFOR Chad-CAR has become a bench d test for Europe's ambitions for military means alone, after the experience in Macedonia, Congo, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Sudan (Darfur).

"This is an important step, General Bentgeat says. Chad is not Afghanistan, but it's still a theater of operation far, difficult to access, stripped of everything and sometimes hostile. By measurement of troops by the duration of the commitment was a first. "

Kosovo and Congo

The operation has highlighted the disadvantages known European . The lack of heavy transport aircraft and long range, again overcome by the use of Ukrainian and Russian providers.

And, once there, the shortage of helicopters: it took several months for the Eufor obtain necessary equipment. Russia, together with the operation with 120 men, provided the end of 2008 four of his Mi-8, beasts of burden from the Soviet era.

The Staff Brussels remains silent on what could be the next EU military mission. But three destinations the most frequent in the scenarios experts. Kosovo, which NATO will eventually emerge. Congo, the specter of a humanitarian nightmare in the offing. And the Palestinian territories if there is a settlement with Israel.