Two Belgian Eufor vehicles burned, De Crem confirms and balances…

(BRUSSELS2) (updated Tuesday February 10) The Belgian Defense Minister, Pieter De Crem (CD&V - Flemish Christian Democrats), confirmed before the Belgian Chamber of Deputies the indirect destruction of two EUFOR vehicles following the a Sudanese helicopter attack in mid-November. Information published on this blog (and coming from the UN but I did not have the nationality of the vehicles and certain details).

Responding to a question from a deputy, Denis Ducarme (of the Reform Movement, liberal), the minister specified: “On November 17, 2008, a EUFOR patrol was overflown by two Sudanese combat helicopters, in Chadian territory, 1200 meters from the border with Sudan. The EUFOR patrol clearly identified with "EUFOR" marking and orange "high visibility" marking panels was at a standstill. She was in this region as part of her protection mandate following recent incidents involving civilian populations. The Sudanese helicopters fired several rockets in the direction of the vehicles, without hitting them, but setting fire to the vegetation. The patrol did not return fire. There were no injuries, but both vehicles were destroyed by the spreading fire. »  These vehicles belonged to the special forces (of the SPG based in Flawinne, equipped with Unimog and jeeps) responsible for intelligence information.

The commitments of certain States not kept 100%!

The Minister of Defense remarked, in passing, that " Paradoxically, this humanitarian operation in Chad is proving very dangerous. "and criticized" some commitments from other European countries (which) have not been 100% fulfilled. » This criticism can, in my opinion, target Sweden in particular, which had special forces on site at the start of the operation, as well as France (*). “Our main role was to build the camp. The decision I made to send 25 men from the "special forces" and the circumstances have meant that the weight of the operation now rests on them and no longer on those who were supposed to carry out this operation at the start. »

A little comment

It's quite original that this type of information must go around the planet, via New York and Dublin (it's an interview with General Nash in the Irish Times which alerted the Belgian deputies). Is this a "hiccup" not only in the communication of the Belgian Minister but also of the Eufor operation itself? I would say rather a certain caution, concerning this incident clearly implicating Sudan. While relations between this country and Chad were improving, there was no political question of being able to fuel a possible quarrel, of "add oil to the fire". Especially since the border in the region is, to say the least, "fluctuating". According to a field expert, there is "no well-defined physical landmark (as in Europe) and the assessment of the border limit differs according to the country". Note that this incident is not the first. As our Irish colleagues report, Sudanese planes come regularly to make reconnaissance flights near the border (Chad harboring the rebel forces in power in Kharthoum). And we remember that a man from the French special forces had died at the start of the operation (read: First death in operation for Eufor).

(NGV)

(*) A questioning which may seem unfair because these two countries have fulfilled the missions which had been entrusted to them within the times indicated and according to the
principle of the rotation of forces.