Paris envoy in Chad

Press, 3 February 1984, Page 6

Paris envoy in Chad

NZPA-Reuter N’djamena

The French External Relations Minister, Mr Claude Cheysson, has begun a three-nation tour aimed at ending the Chad civil war amid reports of renewed fighting in the former French colony. He flew into N’djamena yesterday shortly after Chad’s military high command announced the destruction of a column of 600 Libyan-backed rebels in the northern oasis town of Monou.

A communique said that several hundred rebel troops of the former President, Goukouni Oueddei, had been killed or wounded and 234 captured.

It was the first announcement of a serious clash between the forces of the President, Mr Hissene Habre, and the rebels since a French Jaguar fighterbomber was shot down and its pilot killed last week. A Chad Embassy spokesman in Paris said that the rebels had crossed into the defensive zone set up by French forces and intercepted.

French troops had not been engaged in the operation, he said. In Paris French television quoted military sources as saying that reinforcements would be sent to join 3000 French troops already in Chad, supporting the forces of Mr Habre. Mr Cheysson was met by the Chadian Security Minister, Mr Taher Guinassou, and Brigadier-General Jean Poli, commander of the Frepch force in Chad.