EUFOR mission in Chad/CAR ends amid MINURCAT vulnerability fears

The EU's first stand-alone African peacekeeping effort is due to wrap up on 15 March when most of its troops will be rehatted under the UN Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT).

The year-long EUFOR operation was conceived as a bridging force, tasked with providing security for civilians and humanitarian actors responding to the crisis in Sudan's western Darfur region. The five-year conflict has displaced more than 2.5 million people and destabilised the border zone, with regular clashes among the rebel groups who operate there.

Twenty-three EU member nations and three third-party states have been involved in the operation, which at its highest level included some 3,700 personnel.

Poland, which had nearly 400 troops and three armed Mi-17 helicopters participating in the EUFOR operation, has decided to maintain its presence in Chad through to November 2009, opting to take up the UN mandate of the MINURCAT mission that has operated in parallel with the EU.

However, Poland has not yet committed to leaving its air assets in Chad as the helicopters could be required for Polish operations as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.

Other countries that have signalled they will stay and enhance the strength of MINURCAT – projected to include 5,200 troops – include Austria, Finland, France and Ireland, according to EU spokeswoman Celine Ruiz.

Of the three third-party states to EUFOR – Albania, Croatia and Russia – Russia and Croatia have also indicated they will remain.