Chad to shutter Qatar embassy, expel diplomats

Chad is shuttering Qatar’s embassy and giving its diplomats 10 days to leave the country, accusing Doha of trying to destabilize the central African nation via its northern neighbor Libya, it said on Wednesday.

“Given the continued involvement of the state of Qatar in the attempts at the destabilisation of Chad from Libya, the government has decided on the closure of the embassy and the departure of the ambassador and diplomatic personnel from national territory,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

“They have been given 10 days in this regard,” it said.

“In order to safeguard peace and security in the region, Chad calls on Qatar to cease all actions that could undermine its security as well as those of the countries of the Lake Chad basin and the Sahel,” the foreign ministry statement said.

It added that the decision was driven by the will to “safeguard peace and stability in the region.”

The statement from Chad’s foreign ministry added that it would close its diplomatic mission in Doha and recall all personnel.

Qatari officials were not immediately available to comment.

News Agencies