France to withdraw 1,900 troops from Chad, Ivory Coast

France plans to withdraw 1,900 of its soldiers from the African nations of Chad and Ivory Coast to reduce its foreign troop deployment, Prime Minister Francois Fillon announced Wednesday.

At least 1,000 soldiers of France’s 1,650-strong mission to protect refugees in Chad will be withdrawn by this summer, Fillon said. In addition, the 1,800-strong contingent in Ivory Coast will be cut by half, he said.

Fillon spoke during a parliamentary debate on France’s military missions overseas.
The soldiers being pulled from Chad are part of the European Union Force mission to protect refugees who have fled the conflict in Darfur in neighboring Sudan. Chadians displaced by violence that has spilled over from Darfur and by a rebellion in eastern Chad also have been under the Force’s watch.