Retired General Jean-Pierre Ganascia, former Commander of EUFOR Mission to Chad, 2008-09. Source: Fatkom
This week Chad announced that it is withdrawing its troops from Mali, saying they aren’t equipped to fight a guerrilla conflict. The Chadians have been praised for their performance in Northern Mali, in particular being credited with killing AQMI leaders, Abou Zeid and Mohktar Belmokhtar. The Chadian have also suffered the heaviest losses- 30 Chad army soldiers have been killed since they arrived in Mali in February. 3 more died last Friday in a suicide blast in Gao.
The withdrawal (which may not be for long or without political motivations according to Celeste Hicks) seems a good moment just to think a little about the African forces that are going to take the reins from France.
I spoke with retired General Jean-Philippe Ganascia, formerly of the French Army and who commanded the EU military mission to Chad between 2008-2009. During this time he was able to observe the Chadian army , its capabilities and working practices.
Since retiring from the army in 2010, General Ganascia has been working as military advisor to NGOs, as well as the French and UK governments. One of his last field postings was as a UN military observer, tasked with reviewing the performance of the UN force in Congo (MONUSCO), deployed currently around Kivu. An expert in military capacity and its reform- General Ganascia is well-placed to comment on the Chadian withdrawal.
How do you think the Chadian army performed in Mali?
“They were good clearly. It was really a struggle for life what they did. But, you know, some of the things they do, it’s more than courage, it’s craziness! They’ll drive a pick-up at another pick-up and whoever survives wins.
And of the Chadian army more generally?
“”There is a kind of myth, especially in the French army about the nomads and the Tuareg, the Chadian army are Nomads. We have a sort of ideal about them. But I don’t consider them an organised army. Even if they’re the best troops we could have had for that terrain. They have a kind of mix of individual capacity. We could call this courage. But on the other side, they are bandits.
Chad says it isn’t equipped to fight a guerrilla war in Northern Mali, what do you think of this?
“At present, African armies can’t do the same thing as the French army, clearly.”
General Ganascia is currently working to arrange a high-level conference in Mali on security sector reform – all the African players are expected to attend. An exact date for the conference is still to be confirmed, but Ganascia thinks mid-November.
What’s your view of the African forces in the region?
“They are not all bad. They could, all of them, be better. But then, you have to ask- who’s training these armies? We have some responsibility for these armies. It’s not a question of money. it’s a question of leadership.”
What are the chances of success in reforming Mali’s military?
“We’re holding the conference on security sector reform- but I would say “establishment” since we have nothing to reform. I would like the conference to be a way to put everything on the table for once. For once, they the regional players have a common interest to something in their governance- the Islamist threat. They don’t want this to come to their people.”
But to have the elections in June is stupid, obviously it should be later. Then the conference should be 3-4 months after the elections so we can have some official stability.”
Just as an aside on France’s position in West Africa, thought its worth noting General Ganascia’s view on why it was an EU mission in Chad in 2008-09 to begin with:
“He [president Deby] accepted because it was France. They did not want to have Blue helmets on Chadian soil, they’re was pressure coming from Libya at that time. But he accepted because it was France. Because I was French.”
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