In their description of her as a “fascist and a xenophobe”, opposition parties in Chad have condemned a planned visit by France's far-right leader, Marine Le Pen, to the former French colony later today.

According to Ceoafrica, Ms Lepen, who is running for the presidency in France's 23 April election, said she would be visiting French soldiers based in Chad to show that security will be a priority for her if she takes office.

However, opposition parties in Chad say she is coming to "beg" for campaign funds from President Idriss Deby.

Ms Le Pen has not commented on the reports.

The National Front leader is vocal about her anti-immigration stance, which makes her unpopular in most of French-speaking Africa, including Chad.

Polls suggest Ms Le Pen will get the most votes in the first round, but centrist, Emanuel Macron, will defeat her in a run-off vote.