Continued support

Government forces in Chad put down an attempted rebel advance on the capital N'Djamena on Friday, in which more than 100 rebels and 20 Chadian troops were killed.

The European Union's foreign policy coordinator, Javier Solana, condemned the offensive, which government sources in Chad say was staged by neighboring Sudan.

Support continues after EUFOR mission in Chad

This latest violence comes after the EU ended its one-year military mission in the region, which it, along with the United Nations, hailed as a success.

However, the 18-nation mission carried a hefty price tag, which Brussels followed with a promise to pay the Chadian government 311 million euros in further aid until 2013.

The deal has many wondering why the European Union has pledged the sum to the military regime, which former army commander Idriss Deby has led since coming to power in a violent coup in 1990.

European Commission spokesman John Clancy, however, sees the pledge as crucial to forging a partnership with Chad.

"In general terms, we look at several countries throughout Africa as potential partners, and Chad is one of those," he said.

"We are very interested in giving Chad a chance to create a sense of stability in the country, and to attain a certain level of democratic practice towards international standards. In the end, it leads to good governance," he added.

Accusations against Déby

Chad's leader Idriss Deby has no qualms about accepting financial assistance from the EU. He sees it as recompense for allowing EU troops access to the region, something he was initially unwilling to do.

Since seizing power in 1990, Deby has gone through the typical ups and downs of African rule. He has been forced to put down dozens of rebel offensives, such as Friday's attack, that have come both from within Chad and beyond its borders.

Deby has also faced a number of accusations from the opposition in Chad, mostly for alleged corruption. His regime has also been accused of election rigging, army brutality, and extreme censorship.

"Right now, if you're against Deby, you will be persecuted," said Helge Dickow, an Africa specialist at the University of Freiburg. "He has already arrested several members of the opposition, including the most important leader, Ibni Oumar. Oumar hasn't been seen since his arrest, and according to a team that was set up to locate his whereabouts, he either died or was murdered just days after being arrested," she said.

"Apalling" human rights record

Until this year, Germany was sending official development aid to the country. Due to Chad's abysmal human right's record, however, Berlin has curtailed sending financial assistance to N'Djamena, opting instead to send funds directly to aid groups in the region.

Brussels however, is sending funds directly to Deby, which critics interpret as sponsorship of an internationally discredited regime.

But the EU development ministry says the money is vital for the people of Chad, a country which remains almost at the bottom of the United Nations' list of most impoverished. At the moment, on that list of 177 countries, Chad occupies position 171.

Illiteracy in the country is just as alarmingly high, with more than half of the population unable to read or write.

Concern over EU funds

Notwithstanding such claims, Brussels isn't worried that Chad will misuse the funds.

"We have a system of checks and balances," said European Commission spokesman John Clancy. "We maintain strict controls to the best of our ability. We understand that, in the end, we're talking about European taxpayers' money."

Author: Martin Durm/Gabriel Borrud

Editor: Chuck Penfold