Fighting for the French Foreign Legion by Alex Lochrie

Author:Alex Lochrie
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fighting For The French Foriegn Legion
ISBN: 9781848840850
Publisher: Pen & Sword
Published: 2009-11-18T16:00:00+00:00

Groups of Tchadien soldiers were roaming the streets, no one seemed to be in charge and most were under the influence of alcohol or drugs. They were looting the shops and generally terrorizing anyone they came across –it was not a place to be white or living in an isolated villa.

Two Air France 747s were brought in to assist with the rapid evacuation of the civilians who were now packing the airport. Many had lived and worked in Tchad for years and were leaving behind their jobs, homes and in some cases everything they possessed. There was no guarantee that they would ever be able to return. I felt sorry for many of them. There were also those, mostly businessmen I might add, who were trying everything to get to the head of the queue to get on the aircraft. They soon found themselves at the back of the queue again when they were hauled out of the line by the legionnaires in charge of boarding the aircraft.

At the front of the terminal there were hundreds of 4x4 Toyota Landcruisers abandoned with the keys still in the ignitions. Several were commandered by ourselves for transport and I managed to get my hands on a top-of-the-range model left by a very obnoxious gentleman. This particular vehicle was eventually given to someone who had once been part of the Regiment and now ran an orphanage just outside the capital with the aid of the REP and families, who regularly collected clothes and books to send out to him. There was no way he would abandon the children and the Regiment left a combat group with him to ensure their security. By the evening of the third day all the civilians who wished to leave had been evacuated. There had been some nervous moments but the evacuation had gone well. Not a single shot had been exchanged and things were a lot quieter in the town center.

Things changed suddenly when two giant Ilyushin IL-76 transport aircraft belonging to the Libyan Air Force flew across the border on a direct course for Ndjemina. Two French Mirage fighters were scrambled and we were told by the new government that they had permission to land. A delegation from the new Tchadien government arrived at the airport insisting that they should be given access to the aircraft when they landed. They claimed that the aircraft were there to pick up hundreds of Libyan prisoners who were being held in Tchad and were to be repatriated to Libya. Permission was given for the aircraft to land, but they were directed to a parking spot chosen by us and a security cordon was thrown round the aircraft. No one was allowed to disembark and we escorted two representatives of the Tchadien government onto the aircraft.

Lorries arrived carrying over 300 prisoners in prison uniforms that looked to me to be no more than striped pyjamas. Most were infirm and malnourished, and it was clear that they had not had an easy time.

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