Libyan armour aimed at French-held town: Chad

Press, 25 August 1983, Page 10

Libyan armour aimed at French-held town: Chad

NZPA-Reuter N’djamena Libyan tanks are on the move in strength after a nine-day lull in the Chad civil war and poised to back a rebel attack on a stronghold where French troops are stationed, the Government of Hissene Habre says.

The Information Minister, Mr Soumalia Mahamat, said yesterday that the immediate target of what he said were some 100 Soviet-built tanks was Salal, a Government base 360 km north-east of N’djamena and at the western end of a defence line set up with French help over the last two weeks.

He reported another Libyan armoured column moving east from the northern oasis town of FayaLargeau which, Western diplomatic sources agree, has been the focus of a big supply build-up since it was taken from the Government on August 10. Libya denies that it has any troops in Chad to back rebels led by the former President Goukouni Oued-

dei, but the United States and French Governments say that Libyan Regulars are in the north. There was no immediate independent confirmation of Mr Mahamat’s information, which, if accurate, would make a confrontation likely between rebels and French troops officially described as instructors but with orders to defend themselves if necessary. Mr Mahamat said that T 62 and T 72 Libyan tanks had been moved on huge transporters to a new advance base 80km south of Faya-Largeau. “Everything shows that the Libyans are ready to attack our positions at Sala,” he said.

The alleged new base would be about 300 km north of Salal, on one of two roads to N’djamena that tanks would have to use in a thrust on the capital.

Salal is one of four frontline positions where some of the estimated 1200 French paratroopers and Foreign Legionnaries have been

stationed. The other three are farther east on a road to N’djamena from the stronghold of Abeche.

Mr Mahamat said that the other Libyan armoured column was between FayaLargeau and Fada, about 400 km north of Abeche. In Paris the French Defence Ministry denied knowledge of the alleged tank movements.

The official Chad press yesterday attacked what it said was an increasing mood in Paris that a partition of Chad between Libyan and French spheres of influence would be a “miracle solution” to the 17-year-old civil war.

Mr Mahamat says that Chad would ask for French participation when the Government was ready to launch a counter-attack but French spokesmen have indicated that their troops would not join in. Paris intends that the disposition of French forces in four such strongholds at

either end of the defence line would deter the rebels pushing south. Brigadier-General Jean Poli, commander of the French contingent, said when he arrived on Monday to take up his new post that the French presence was “dissuasive” but described his task as difficult.

In Washington the United States announced yesterday that it would pull its radar planes out of Sudan, saying that they would not be needed “for the immediate future” over the fighting in Chad.

“There is no immediate operational need for them at this point,” a State Department spokesman, Alan Romberg, said. “Let me emphasise, they could be brought back ... on a very quick basis.” The two airborne warning and control systems (Awacs) planes were sent to Sudan two weeks ago to be ready to help French combat planes against the Libyan-

led rebel forces that were taking control of northern Chad.

Mr Romberg did not elaborate on reasons for pulling the Awacs out, but other Administration officials said that the presence of the American planes had helped to stop the advance of rebel forces in Chad. The Administration officials also said that the French had planes of their own to monitor Libyan aircraft.

“We are encouraged by the French deployment of substantial forces to Chad,” Mr Romberg said.

The United States would continue to seek Libyan withdrawal from Chad and did not want the country to be partitioned.

“We are continuing to work with the Government of Chad, and other concerned governments, to effect the withdrawal of Libyan forces from Chad and to protect Chad's territorial integrity,” he said.