The Chadian government said on Sunday that its army would continue to participate in regional efforts to fight jihadist groups and the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, after remarks by President Idriss Deby that caused trouble.
In a video released on Friday, the Head of State of Chad spoke of the death of Chadian soldiers "for Lake Chad and for the Sahel" and announced that "as of today no Chadian soldier will participate in a military operation outside of Chad ” .
The remarks were "taken out of context" and "misinterpreted," said a spokesman for the foreign ministry on Sunday.
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"There has never been any question of Chad disengaging" from the multinational mixed force (FMM) engaged against Boko Haram, nor from the joint force of the G5 Sahel or from the UN mission in Mali, a- he assured in a press release.
Chad, whose army is considered the most effective in the region, is a key player in the fight against jihadist groups in the Sahel and around Lake Chad and is one of the main contributors to the mission of maintaining the peace in Mali.