Chad: Netanyahu’s visit reopens diplomatic relations with Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu was received by Chadian President Idriss Deby on the night of January 19-20, a first visit since diplomatic relations between the two countries have been broken since 1970, less than three months after the visit of Deby to Jerusalem.
Israel, which has promised to engage in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel region of Lake Chad, a prey to the terrorist group Boko Haram, does not hide its growing interest in the African market. Moreover, the Hebrew State encourages companies based on its soil to become more interested in the continent, considered a market of the future. According to Benyamin Netanyahu, « Chad is an important country for Israel. The future of Africa depends on the future of Israel. What happens here influences what is happening in the world. You have understood it, we have understood it and our allies must understand it. »
In response to the visit, the terrorist group Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed on January 20th an attack during which ten Chadian peacekeepers perished in north-eastern Mali.