Mérand, Frédéric <br/><br/>
Baptism of fire: The EU force in Chad and the Central African Republic 

 -  2009.<br/>							 
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<br/><br/> Can the European Union be both a strategic and a neutral actor in sub-Saharan Africa? Eufor Tchad/RCA, whose 3,700 troops were sent to protect Sudanese refugees and internally displaced persons in Chad and the Central African Republic, has been the most difficult military operation for the EU since the launch of the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) in 1998. Suffering the first human casualty, bad press, harsh criticism on the part of local actors, and serious dangers of mission creep or even failure, the ESDP faced a baptism by fire in Chad and Centrafrique. Taking stock of this mission, which officially ended in March 2009, this article highlights the main issues faced by Eufor. After an outline the context of the intervention, the text discussed the conditions that led the EU to deploy a military force, its modus operandi, the debate among EU member states, and the connection between Eufor and the development of ESDP.