On this day, 42 years ago, August 16, 1983 (July 8, 1983 in the lunar calendar), France intervened in the civil war in Chad. Chadian rebels wear uniforms suitable for desert combat On August 16, 1983, France sent hundreds of soldiers to its former colony of Chad to support the government and fight guerrillas reportedly backed by Libya. The Reagan administration has promised to send Chadian President Hesse-Habré worth $25 million in military aid. Guerrillas and government forces have been fighting a tug-of-war in several towns in northern Chad. Not long ago, the guerrillas reoccupied the Faya-Laro Oasis. Habre told a press conference: "We ask all countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia and Europe to help Chad defend itself. Libya is the aggressor." Habre also accused Libya leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi of "using Soviet tactics" to attack the Faya-Raro oasis by mobilizing a large number of aircraft, tanks, and artillery. "This is a genocidal massacre. We have only seen such a massacre in films about World War II," he said. The Libya News Agency denied that Libya was involved in the civil war in Chad. A guard guards captured rebels in the capital, N'Djamena