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France praises Qatar’s mediation in Chad talks
DohaNews, 28/03/2022
The Qatari and French diplomats have touched on developments in Lebanon and Ukraine.
France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has praised Qatar’s mediating role between all Chadian sides on Monday during a joint press conference in Doha with his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.
The French diplomat is currently in the Gulf state for the 20th edition of the Doha Forum, which ended on Sunday. During his visit, Le Drian has met with Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
His 24th visit to the country comes as Doha hosts talks between Chadian sides in an effort to pave the way for free and transparent elections. The negotiations, which kicked off on 13 March, seek to compliment the efforts of Chad’s national reconciliation talks in May.
“We commend the role of Qatari diplomacy in sensitive issues and its mediation in the transitional phase in Chad,” said Le Drian.
CHADIAN DELEGATIONS IN DOHA AGREE TO NAME QATAR AS MEDIATOR
Last week, Chadian delegations unanimously agreed to name Qatar as the mediator at the preliminary talks.
Between 1900 and 1960, Chad was under France’s colonial empire.
Currently, France is amongst Chad’s key allies and has long-backed the former Chadian leader Idriss Deby, who was killed amidst fighting between government and rebels from the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) on 20 April, 2021.
French President Emmanuel Macron was the only Western leader to attend his funeral.
France has also backed the head of Chad’s Transitional Military Council, Mahamat Idriss Deby, the late leader’s son. Paris sees N’Djamena as a key point in its fight against what it describes as “jihadist” military operations.
According to Reuters, France has at least 5,100 troops across the Sahel region.
