The Ouadi Doum airstrike was carried out by French aircraft on 16 February 1986, against the Libyan airbase of Ouadi Doum in northern Chad, during the Chadian–Libyan conflict. The raid was significant in that it demonstrated French resolve to counter Gaddafi's expansionary aims and indicated France's commitment to its former colonies. Background In an accord made in Crete in September 1984 between the Libyan and French presidents Muammar al-Gaddafi and François Mitterrand it was agreed that the French and Libyan forces would both leave Chad, which was then divided on the 16th parallel with Libya and the rebel GUNT keeping the north and the French and the Chadian government holding the south. But while France respected the accords, leaving Chad in 1984, Libya only reduced its forces, maintaining 5,000 men in the country. When on Gaddafi's orders GUNT forces attacked southern Chad in February 1986 violating the 16th parallel, French reaction was immediate: while on February 13 Opération Epervier started, which brought a thousand French troops to Chad, an air strike was prepared. The first move was to regroup about fifteen Mirage F1s and Jaguars in Bangui. The operation's target was to damage the airstrip of Ouadi Doum in northern Chad, a strip 3800 meters long, built by the Libyans between November 1984 and October 1985. Ouadi Doum had a great strategic importance, as Libyan bombers were capable of flying from there to strike Chad's capital, N'Djamena. More important still were the political aspects of the strike: Ouadi Doum was a symbol of Libyan duplicity. The French government intended the action to send a message to their African allies by proving their determination to confront Libyan expansion. Strike On 16 February, 11 Jaguars of Escadron 1/11 Roussillon escorted by four Mirage F1's left Bangui for Ouadi Doum. When the French planes attacked, they were flying very close to the ground, in order to avoid detection by Libyan radar and surface-to-air missiles until it was too late. The planes made only one pass over the target, dropping about forty BAP 100 and classic bombs of 250 kg on the airstrip, severely damaging it and making it temporarily unusable. The entire attack lasted less than a minute. The last two Jaguars of the strike were late to the turn and flew into shrapnel and debris turned up by the Leader and Number 2 of the formation, sustaining minor damage but still being