VOA常速英语2008年-EU Delays Deployment of Peacekeepers to Chad

By Lisa Bryant
Paris
01 February 2008

The European Union has announced it would delay a peacekeeping mission to Chad because of a new rebel offensive against N'Djamena's government. Meanwhile, Lisa Bryant reports from Paris the French government is dispatching troops to bolster¹ its forces in the central African country.

French defense² officials have told news agencies they are sending 150 forces from nearby Gabon to Chad, where the UFDD rebel group is reportedly moving in the direction of the Chadian capital of N'Djamena.

France already has 2,000 soldiers on the ground in Chad. French officials say the new contingent³ is being sent as a precautionary measure to protect French citizens there. The new forces will not take a combat role.

The announcement came as the European Union said it would delay this week's deployment⁴ of forces to Chad. The EUFOR force is tasked to protect refugees from the neighboring war-torn region of Darfur, in Sudan, as well as those displaced by separate conflicts in Chad and the Central African Republic, just across the border.

The EUFOR force commander, French general Jean-Philippe Ganascia, has predicted the delay in troop deployment would only be for a few days. He gave his assessment⁵ of the situation on the ground in Chad.

Ganascia told France-Info radio that so far French forces stationed in Chad have not clashed with the rebels. He said he would be surprised if that happened now. But he said he also didn't know the rebels. And he said the European peacekeeping force had the right to engage with the rebels - if necessary.

Meanwhile, the French government has not ruled out sending additional reinforcements to Chad, if necessary.

 

1 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 contingent   

adj.视条件而定的；n.一组，代表团，分遣队

参考例句：

• The contingent marched in the direction of the Western Hills.队伍朝西山的方向前进。
• Whether or not we arrive on time is contingent on the weather.我们是否按时到达要视天气情况而定。

4 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

5 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？