The House held a debate on eastern Chad pursuant to Rule 115 of the Rules of Procedure (debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law).

The debate was followed by a vote on a motion for a resolution.

Following the debate in plenary, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on eastern Chad, emphasising that the recent violence and unrest in Chad demonstrate the urgent need for the deployment of EUFOR TCHAD/RCA without further delay. The Council adopted this joint action on 15 October 2007, which was designed to contribute to protecting refugees, to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, and to contribute to protecting UN personnel, facilities, installations and equipment.

Parliament recalled that on 26 November 2007 hundreds of Chadian rebel fighters were killed along Chad's eastern border by the Chadian army. The armed struggle between the Chadian army and the rebels of the Union of Forces for Democracy and Development (UFDD) and Rally of Forces for Change (RFC) had resumed after the fragile peace deal which unravelled at the end of November 2007. The rebel groups, government officials and foreign observers all confirmed that the battles which have taken place since 26 November 2007 had been the harshest in Chad since President Idriss Deby Itno took power in December 1990.

Parliament went on to recall that about 238 000 refugees from Sudan, 44 600 refugees from the CAR and 170 000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) were hosted in twelve camps along Chad's eastern border with Sudan. The surge in fighting in eastern Chad over the past ten days had limited UN access to camps that were home to hundreds of thousands of refugees and IDPs. The fighting was also hampering the operations of the World Food Programme (WFP) in eastern Chad. The fighting near Farchana, where three refugee camps were located, had made humanitarian operations particularly difficult. The increasing incidence of banditry in eastern Chad was forcing humanitarian agencies to reduce staff in key towns, further restricting their ability to provide much-needed humanitarian assistance. Any domestic instability in Chad - together with the insecurity of the border region of eastern Chad, Darfur and the CAR - would also have a negative effect and impact on the EUFOR TCHAD/RCA operation once it was deployed.

According to Members, the calendar for the deployment of EUFOR TCHAD/RCA, which should have been launched before the end of November 2007, was gradually being put back. It was presupposed that, once the rainy season subsided at the end of October 2007, the rebel groups would once again be more mobile and active in the region. The Chadian intelligence chief had accused Sudan of arming the rebels. In addition, international concerns over the conflict had heightened since the UFDD threatened to attack the French or any other foreign force deployed in the EUFOR TCHAD/RCA mission.

Parliament underlined that the EU Member States and the UN had a 'responsibility to protect' refugees and internally displaced persons in the region. It stressed that these forces must have all means necessary, in full compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law, to protect civilians at risk. Members regretted, however, the fact that this mission still lacked equipment vital for enabling troops to carry out their duties, such as helicopters and medical supplies. They called on the EU institutions and its Member States to honour the political decision made and to provide the mission with more troops and financial, logistic and air support. Parliament underscored that the EU's credibility in its foreign policy on the world stage was at stake if it could not mobilise sufficient troops and equipment to make this mission operational.

It called on the Council and Commission to update it on current initiatives (such as those within the European Defence Agency) to address capability gaps in key areas and specifically on helicopters and medical support units, and to put forward joint proposals for solutions for guaranteed access to such capabilities for both humanitarian as well as ESDP purposes. It stressed the regional dimension of the Darfur crisis and the urgent need to address its destabilising impact on the humanitarian and security situation in neighbouring countries, reiterating its willingness to carry out the EU military bridging operation in support of a multidimensional UN presence. Parliament recalled that it had endorsed the launch of an ESDP operation in eastern Chad and the northern CAR, and urged the Council and Commission to speed up the decision-making process for the launching of this operation in order to ensure that the first deployment of soldiers started before the end of 2007. It welcomed the Commission funding of over EUR 50 million, including EUR 10 million from the Instrument for Stability for the UN police training component of the peace-keeping operation.

The resolution deplored the President of Sudan's insistence that the UNAMID force, which EUFOR TCHAD/RCA was due to bolster, should be exclusively African in nature, contrary to the relevant resolution of the UN Security Council. It emphasised the need to speed up the deployment of the UN-AU peacekeeping force for Darfur, urged the government of Sudan to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC), and suggested the inclusion in the mandate of hybrid powers to search and arrest those against whom the ICC had issued arrest warrants.

Parliament noted an escalation of deliberate and targeted attacks on the civilian population by Janjaweed militia crossing over from Sudan and by local Chadian Arab and some non- Arab groups, as well as the extent of gender-based violence and rape which was occurring in this region with complete impunity. The Chadian authorities must investigate the reports of rape and other serious human rights violations and bring the perpetrators to justice. The particular issue of sexual exploitation in this conflict region was emphasised. Member States which contribute forces to UNAMID and EUFOR TCHAD/RCA must be made aware of this abuse and adopt a gender-sensitive approach at all stages of response to sexual violence in conflict. It was the responsibility of countries contributing troops and police to peacekeeping operations to ensure that strong codes of conduct and proper training were implemented and that there was accountability for sexual violence. Increasing the deployment of women in peacekeeping had been shown to contribute not only to better relations with host communities, but also to better conduct by peacekeepers.

The resolution went on to state that Parliament was highly concerned by aid workers' reports that both rebels and the government had visited refugee camps to recruit children to their forces. It urged the EU to press for a comprehensive peace process, using pressure and incentives to encourage all parties to return to the negotiating table. No peacekeeping mission in the eastern part of Chad and the northern part of the CAR could be successful without a genuine political reconciliation process;

Lastly, Parliament urged Chad, in cooperation with Sudan and Libya, to create the necessary conditions for a lasting political solution in implementation of the Sirte peace accord, and urged the governments of Sudan and Chad to fulfil their obligations under the Tripoli and Sirte agreements.