Ever since the start of the illegal siege of Qatar by neighbouring countries, Qatar had kept a cool head, refusing to retaliate to blockading nations’ acts of expelling Qatari diplomats.

Yesterday, for the first time, Qatar ordered the embassy of Chad in Doha to be closed and gave its diplomats 72 hours to leave the country, reported Gulf Times.

The move came in retaliation against Chad earlier giving Qatari diplomats 10 days to leave the country.

Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in its official website, said it rejected and condemned the reasons contained in the statement issued by Chad concerning the closure of the Embassy of Qatar in N’Djamena.

“The timing of the decision of the Government of Chad closing the Embassy of Qatar clearly reveals that this decision comes within the campaign of political blackmail against Qatar with the intention of joining the siege countries for very well known reasons,” said HE Ambassador Ahmed bin Saeed Al Rumaihi, Director of Information Office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The central African nation accused Qatar of trying to destabilise it via its northern neighbor Libya, reported Reuters.

“In order 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,” a statement from the foreign ministry said.

However, it did not provide any details or proof to support the accusation.

The surprise move came after Senegal said this week it had reinstated its ambassador to Qatar after having recalled him three months ago, in a bid to encourage a peaceful resolution to the feud.