1 Chad soldier killed by French nurse, sparking protest
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The Borkou region's governor General Ali Maide Kebir told AFP that the nurse killed him 'out of defense', after which locals attempted to get inside the base unsuccessfully.
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Chadian soldiers patrol in Monguno in December. The military has been at the forefront of fighting Boko Haram in the Lake Chad area. (AFP)
The French military base of Faya-Largeau in Northern Chad witnessed the death of a Chadian soldier after an army nurse shot him, triggering protests by locals, the Borkou region's governor General Ali Maide Kebir told AFP on Wednesday.
Two protesters were killed and another 15 were injured during a protest after the soldier's death, a local source told Sputnik. "There are women and children among the victims," he said.
The attack took place a day prior, as Maide Kebir said, "A Chadian soldier who was not in a normal state went to the French army base to get bandaged, picked up a scalpel, and wounded a French military nurse."
"The nurse used his firearm and killed him," he continued, adding, "After hearing of the soldier's death, the people of Faya demonstrated all day long outside the entrance to the base and tried unsuccessfully to get inside."
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The French and Chadian military have launched a joint inquiry, Maide Kebir said.
40 soldiers for 40 years
A senior officer with French forces in the Chadian capital N'Djamena provided further details stating that it occurred "during medical consultations (at the base) which were open to the public, [after which] a Chadian soldier who was being treated attacked a French nurse with a scalpel".
"He had to make use of his weapon... to defend himself", he stated, adding that the reasons behind the attack remain unknown. "The nurse received three scalpel blows to the throat, head and neck but his condition has stabilized."
France's base at Faya-Largeau has been existent for 40 years with around 40 soldiers.
Most of the French military base was evacuated by plane to N'Djamena. As of this moment, the French base remains blocked by the Chadian military in an effort to prevent any re-infiltration attempts.
Chadian political scientist Evariste Ngarlem Tolde told Sputnik on Wednesday that the Chadian parliament has already told the French military forces to withdraw from the country.
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This incident may spark a possible uprising in the country, as the nations of Africa, like Niger and Burkina Faso, are kicking out French forces, calling an end to its hegemonic attempts.
Chad, the country that borders Niger, has been attempting to de-escalate tensions in Africa as the country, and several like it, struggle with containing extremists in the plagued Sahel region.
