Chad shuts down Qatari embassy and orders diplomats to leave in 10 days

▶ First deputy speaker says Doha breaks laws and supports terrorism ‘in many countries’

Chad is shutting down the Qatari embassy and yesterday told diplomats to leave within 10 days.

The Central African nation has accused the Arabian Gulf state of trying to destabilise the country through its northern neighbour, Libya.

“To safeguard peace and security in the region, Chad calls on Qatar to cease all actions that could undermine its security, as well as those of the countries of the Lake Chad basin and the Sahel,” the foreign ministry said.

It is not the first African state to move against Qatar after its rift with other Gulf states.

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

They acted after Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt broke off diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar for its support of Islamist extremists and interfering in the internal affairs of other countries.

Senegal said this week that it had reinstated its ambassador to Qatar after having recalled him three months ago, to encourage a peaceful resolution.

Bahrain said it will file an official complaint to the UN security council and the International Criminal Court against Qatar, over accusations it supports terrorist and extremist groups.

Bahrain’s first deputy speaker, Ali Al Aradi, said on Tuesday that Doha had breached international law and intervened in the internal affairs of Bahrain.

“Qatar has supported terrorism and not only in Bahrain, but also in many other countries,” he said during the Panorama programme on Al Arabiya news channel.

“International laws not only classify the act of terrorism as a crime when it is put into action, but also the ideology and planning behind it. It is very clear that Qatar violated these laws and agreements in Bahrain by supporting terrorist groups.”

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut all ties with Qatar on June 5 over accusations of support for extremist groups and close ties to arch-foe Iran. Doha denies the allegations.

Mr Al Aradi said that Bahrain’s council of representatives has urged the government to form a committee to monitor and document Doha’s offences against Bahrain to file a complaint to the UN security council and the ICC.

He said: “Qatar has committed [crimes] that fall under what today are called fourth-generation warfare crimes.”

Fourth-generation warfare is defined as conflicts that can involve the tactics of terrorism and psychological warfare, especially through media manipulation.

“We hope to see the implementation of this suggestion in the coming days,” Mr Al Aradi said. Qatar, he said, supported terrorist groups including Lebanon’s powerful Shiite Hizbollah group and the Muslim Brotherhood, to destabilise the region.

He said there was evidence that Doha had a direct hand in the “unfortunate events” in Bahrain in 2011, when opposition groups protested against the ruling Al Khalifa family.

On August 16, Bahrain’s state television broadcast a report claiming that Doha backed anti-government protests and was complicit in attempts to overthrow the government.

Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim, Qatar’s prime minister at the time, held covert talks with the leader of Bahrain’s largest opposition group and encouraged him to flood the streets with protesters and escalate unrest in the country. Qatar then used its broadcasting arm, Al Jazeera, to amplify the protests.

The four boycotting countries are sticking to their 13 demands as well as the six broad principles that they say must provide a framework for any solution.

The officials have said that they are open to talks on the implementation of their demands but not their content.

The demands include the closure of Qatar-owned Al Jazeera news channel, which the quartet says provides a platform for extremists and dissidents, and the shutting down of a permanent Turkish military base in the country.