Chad and Libya Agree to Settle Desert Border Dispute Over Aozou Strip

ALGIERS —  Chad and Libya agreed Thursday to settle a border dispute that began when Libyan tanks crossed the desert and invaded northern Chad in 1973.

Authorities said the two countries signed an accord to settle sovereignty of the 45,000-square-mile Aozou Strip within a year, or, failing that, to let the International Court of Justice in The Hague decide.

The agreement also calls for an end to hostilities, the withdrawal of all forces in northern Chad and the freeing of political prisoners.

“This is an important landmark in the realization of a just and definitive peace between the two countries,” Chadian Foreign Minister Acheikh ibn Oumar said after the signing.

It comes nearly a year after the countries restored diplomatic relations and a day before Libya celebrates the 20th anniversary of Col. Moammar Kadafi’s seizure of power. It is a sign of Kadafi’s recent efforts to break his country’s isolation in the Arab world.

Algerian Mediator

Ibn Oumar and Libyan Foreign Secretary Jaddallah Talhi signed the agreement before Algerian Foreign Minister Boualem Bessaieh, who helped mediate.

Kadafi annexed northern Chad’s mineral-rich Aozou Strip in 1973, citing an unratified 1941 treaty between Libya’s then colonial ruler, Italy, and France, which ruled Chad.

By 1984, Libyan forces supported by Chadian rebels had invaded much of northern Chad. They were chased out with help from French soldiers in a series of victories in early 1987 but retained their hold of the Aozou Strip.

Details of the accord were worked out at negotiations Aug. 21-25 in Paris, the French Foreign Ministry confirmed.

According to a copy of the agreement made available by the Chadian Embassy in Paris, Chad and Libya also agreed to sign a friendship treaty and leave the disputed area under the administration of a group of African observers until its sovereignty is decided.

2,000 Libyan Prisoners

Chad holds about 2,000 Libyan prisoners and Libya says it has freed most Chadian prisoners.

France, which keeps 1,500 soldiers in southern Chad, praised the accord and “the wisdom of the leaders of the two countries.”

French Foreign Minister Roland Dumas suggested in a radio interview that the French force eventually could be removed, adding, “We have to wait a bit before making a decision.”