PARIS, March 11 (RIA Novosti) - Russian helicopter pilots will take part in a peacekeeping operation in Chad, Russia's defense minister said on Tuesday.
Anatoly Serdyukov told reporters after a Russian-French security council meeting in Paris: "The Russian president has made the decision that a Russian helicopter group will take part in the Chad operation."
War-torn Chad gained independence from France in 1960. It borders the war-ravaged Darfur region of Sudan.
Since 2003, the two countries have accused each other of inciting conflict on their common border, especially in the west Sudanese region of Darfur.
According to international estimates, over 200,000 people have been killed and around 2.5
million displaced in the brutal conflict.
