Chad will strengthen its UN force in Mali against the jihadists, President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno announced on Monday, three days after the announcement by France and its European partners of their military withdrawal from this country. .
” Mali is the epicenter of terrorism in the Sahel. With the agreement of the Malian authorities and the Minusma (UN force)we will strengthen our workforce ” which are “ under the authority of the Minusma “, declared on the radio-television of the State the transitional president Mahamat Déby.
General Mahamat Déby, whose army is one of the main pillars of the anti-jihadist fight in the Sahelian strip alongside the French military, did not specify by how many soldiers he intended to reinforce the approximately 1,200 troops in his country. currently engaged in Mali, one of the very first contingent of the Minusma which has about 15,000 peacekeepers.
► Read also: France and its partners confirm a “coordinated withdrawal” from Mali
Chadian journalists asked on the air if Chad was going to withdraw its soldiers from Mali in unison with France, of which it is one of the main allies in the region. ” Certainly not “replied Mahamat Déby, adding:” This is not the time to leave Mali, as long as terrorism persists, we will stay to help our Malian brothers “.
“ The European forceful withdrawal will lead to the deterioration of the security situation in Mali. We must stay in Mali to help our Malian brothers “, he repeated. Already on December 18, Mali had announced that it had agreed to the dispatch by Chad of 1,000 additional soldiers within the Minusma.
► To read also: Departure of Barkhane from Mali: return on an acclaimed then disavowed French operation
On a completely different subject, the president of the CMT also confirmed during his intervention on radio and television, the pre-dialogue of Doha – bringing together all the Chadian politico-military movements – will take place this Sunday, February 27. In recent days, uncertainty has hovered over the holding of this pre-dialogue and the participation of the UFR of Timan Erdimi. Mahamat Déby cut short these uncertainties.
We have decided to hold an inclusive national dialogue, where all the sons and daughters of Chad can gather around a table to discuss the future of our country. Without exclusion. It’s going to be an inclusive dialogue. Which means that it is absolutely necessary that the politico-military attend.
Mahamat Idriss Déby, President of the Transitional Military Council