French evacuate 50 Belgians from Chad 04/02/2008 00:00

The fall of the Chadian capital, N'Djamena, to rebel forces has triggered a major evacuation of foreign nationals from the country

The fall of the Chadian capital, N'Djamena, to rebel forces has triggered a major evacuation of foreign nationals from the country. Some 50 Belgians were believed to be in Chad and can benefit from the French army's evacuation operation.
 (Belga) François Delhaye of the Belgian Foreign Ministry told the VRT that it had accurate information about 27 Belgians and that this information was being handed on to the French.

France has also offered to evacuate President Idriss Deby.

By Sunday lunchtime the French armed forces had evacuated 400 foreign nationals.

The Belgian Foreign Ministry has been in contact with the honorary consul in the capital N'Djamena.

Belgian nationals have been told to follow the instructions of the French military authorities.

Telephone links are difficult and mobile phones are not working.

Evacuees are being taken to Gabon and can then make their way to Paris.

The rebels have let it be known they will not harm foreign nationals in the country.

On Sunday news reached Brussels of the successful evacuation of 5 Belgian nationals from Chad.

The five arrived in the Gabonese capital, Libreville, as part of the French evacuation effort.

A Belgian Foreign Ministry source spoke of a second evacuation effort via the border with Cameroon.
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