What Happened: The Chadian military has announced that it captured roughly 250 Union of Resistance Forces (UFR) fighters after France conducted airstrikes on a rebel convoy in northeast Chad last week, Reuters reported Feb. 9.
Why It Matters: The capture of the rebels and the French airstrikes will significantly hamper the UFR's mobility and ability to pose a regional threat. France decided to participate in the operation despite its recent attempts to not involve itself in Africa's internal conflicts while it focuses on counterterrorism operations.
Background: The French air force bombed a UFR convoy in northeast Chad on three separate days last week. The operation was carried out on behalf of the Chadian government, which had failed to halt the rebel forces with its own airstrikes.
Read More:
- Chad, France: Paris Rolls Up Its Sleeves in a Sahel Battleground (Feb. 4, 2019)
- Chad's Geographic Challenge (March 22, 2018)
- Chad: What a President's Proposed Changes Mean for the Region (March 20, 2018)
