Foreign oil firms ordered to leave Chad

N'DJAMENA - Chad ordered two major foreign oil firms to leave the country yesterday in a row over taxes.

President Idriss Deby told American firm ChevronTexaco and Malaysia's Petronas to leave "because they have refused to pay their taxes".

There was no immediate comment from the two firms, which are responsible for handling 60 per cent of Chad's production.

The decision leaves only Exxon Mobil remaining in the consortium which handles the country's oil production.

- REUTERS