Libyans may leave Chad soon

Monitor special correspondent Edward Girardet reports that Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi has ordered his military commander in Chad to withdraw Libyan troops there over the next two or three days, according to unconfirmed reports from Chad.

Chad President Goukhouni Woddei, in Paris for the eighth Pan-African conference, said he had been informed of the Libyan pullout, but was not told when it would take place. Last week, President Woddei had called upon Libyan troops to withdraw by the end of the year.

Chad and the proposed creation of an African peacekeeping force to replace Libyan troops in Chad are two of the main topics being discussed here at the informal conference, which has brought together more than 30 African nations. Twenty heads of state are attending. Developments in Namibia and West Sahara are also being examined.

France has promised Chad economic, technical, and military assistance, seeking to wean Woddei from Libyan dependence. Military intervention is out of the question, French Foreign Ministry officials insist.