It has a major military base in N’Djamena and smaller garrisons in the north and east.

During the court hearing, Khan told the judges he had been held in solitary confinement at a prison in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, where he is currently serving multiple prison terms.

He is being held in custody for two months, Russian news agencies cited a military garrison court as saying, but other details of the case were not reported.

Cooks and servants of the garrison picked over the goods, demanding better prices while soldiers wandered in and out of the main gate with bored expressions, rarely stopping to look at the merchandise.

The garrison surrendered only because the men had no water and were literally dying of thirst.