UAE revealed to be involved in supporting Chad rebels
The Times revealed that the rebels of Chad are preparing to march towards N’Djamena with Emirati vehicles and training from Russian Wagner mercenaries.
The newspaper reported the recent events in Chad and the killing of President Idriss Deby, who ruled this country for 30 years.
The report stated that the rebels were trained by Russian mercenaries in Libya, citing officials with knowledge of the situation.
The newspaper said that the fighters of the Front for Change and Accord (FACT) were employees of the Wagner Security Underwriting Company, linked to the Kremlin, and owned by a close ally of President Vladimir Putin.
On Monday, Deby, 68, succumbed to his wounds during a visit to the battlefront as his forces confronted opposition fighters.
The movement declared a ceasefire pending Déby’s funeral on Friday but pledged to advance towards N’Djamena’s capital, from their positions 150 miles away.
The rebel movement received strengthened supplies from Libya and 2,000 fighters.
The fighters of the Change and Concord Front (FACT) were employees of the Wagner Company for Security Undertakings linked to the Kremlin, owned by a close ally of President Vladimir Putin.
The Wagner Company has strengthened its presence in southern Libya during the past year, after arriving to support the UAE ally Khalifa Haftar and his forces. He called it the National Army and attempted to control Tripoli’s capital and overthrow the former Government of National Accord that the United Nations supported.
The Chadian opposition’s relationship with Wagner came after its fighters fled to Libya and were stationed at the Chad-Libyan border.
Her demand was not money but military equipment, which they could obtain by working with Haftar and Russian mercenaries.
“They wanted military equipment,” an official said. And “their salaries were basic, only food and drink.” Haftar provided them with military vehicles that he received from his supporters in the UAE.
Officials believe that Wagner provided training to them from two bases in southern and central Libya and may have provided them with their equipment with Emirati funding.
FACT fighters crossed the Libyan border into Chad on April 11th to confront government forces in a doomed operation.
In less than a week, Déby died after winning a sixth presidential term in an election boycotted by the opposition and marked by violence and accusations of fraud.
The circumstances of his death are unknown. The army commander confirmed that he died of his wounds after an explosive device detonated near his car while visiting his forces on the battle lines in Nuku, which is 170 miles from N’Djamena.
The UAE has permanent restaurants in the mineral-rich and strategically located countries of Africa.
