 About 20 Belgian soldiers left on Thursday for Chad as part of the EUs peacekeeping mission to protect refugees and civilians who have sought refuge in eastern Chad from the violence in neighbouring Darfur. According to the Belga news agency of Belgium, the task of the soldiers will be to build transit camps at N'Djamena airport to house about 150 people.
| A whole 150 people. That's what, 0.02% of the total number of refugees? |
The Belgian government approved, on 19 February, the participation of Belgium in the EU mission to Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR) with the aim of protecting civilians in danger, particularly refugees and displaced persons for a period of one year at the cost of five million euro.
The Belgian unit will be tasked with search, information-gathering and protection and setting up of military camps.
The 3,700-strong mission is one of the largest of its kind ever undertaken by the EU. It has been authorised by the UN, has its headquarters near Paris and is to be made up mainly of French troops under an Irish general's command. |