France's continued propping up of Chadian President Idriss Déby, a repressive autocrat, in whose country French troops are based for their counter-jihadist mission in the Sahel, appears to some like a return to the didgy old practices of the Françafrique system, opines The Economist.
Idriss Déby, Chad’s president, knows better than most how threatening a Toyota pickup truck can be. In 1990 he seized power after leading 300 of them on a dash through the desert to capture N’Djamena, Chad’s capital. Three years earlier, as army chief, his converted battle-wagons smashed through Libyan lines to end the “Toyota War”. So when three pickup convoys carrying Libya-based rebels were spotted 370 miles into Chadian territory last week Mr Déby had every reason to fret, reports The Economist.
