Chad shuts Qatar embassy and gives staff 10 days to leave

Chad says it is closing Qatar's embassy in N'Djamena and giving its staff 10 days to leave.

1 min read

23 August, 2017

Chad will close the embassy in N'Djamena [Getty]

Chad announced on Wednesday it was closing Qatar's embassy in N'Djamena and giving its staff 10 days to leave, accusing Doha of seeking to destabilise the country via Libya.

"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.

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

It did not provide any details to support the accusation. The statement from Chad's foreign ministry added that it would close its diplomatic mission in Doha and recall all personnel.

Chad, Mauritania and Senegal all recalled their ambassadors from Qatar in June.

They acted after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Yemen and Egypt broke off diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting Islamist extremists, a charge the tiny, gas-rich state vehemently denies.