Chad accuses Sudan of attacks
2008-06-18 11:13
N'Djamena - Chad on Tuesday accused soldiers from neighbouring Sudan of attacking one of its frontier garrisons, as rebels opposed to Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno claimed further advances on the capital N'Djamena.
"After despatching columns of mercenaries to Chad and failing to secure strategic areas, the Sudanese army took matters in its own hands today and attacked Ade, backed up by helicopters," a Chadian government statement said.
"By openly engaging their troops and air force, Khartoum has finally thrown off its mask," it said, warning that Chad's "response will be sterner than Sudan is expecting".
There was no independent confirmation of the border attack, and Sudan rejected the accusation.
Sudan's top military spokesperson Othman Mohammed al-Agbash told state news agency SUNA that the armed forces had no role in the conflict in eastern Chad between the Chadian army and rebels.
Relations between Chad, Sudan 'difficult'
SUNA quoted Agbash as saying: "There is no link between the Sudanese army and the Chadian opposition."
Relations between Chad and Sudan had been difficult for more than five years with the two countries regularly accusing each other of supporting rebel factions fighting against their respective regimes.
Diplomatic relations broke off in mid-May after an attack near the Sudan capital Khartoum by a Darfur rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement. N'Djamena denied any involvement.
Chadian rebels claimed on Tuesday that they had wrested control of another eastern town and captured a senior military officer after fresh fighting.
"We have taken Am Zoer after violent clashes. We took prisoner a chief of the garrison," spokesperson for the National Alliance rebel grouping, Ali Gueddei, said.
'Everyone is acting within mandate'
Meanwhile, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana on Tuesday defended the role of the EU force in Chad, or EUFOR, and rejected accusations by President Deby that it was partisan and favoured the rebels.
Solana said: "The force's mission hasn't changed. There is no other function than the function chosen for the force. Everyone is strictly acting within the mandate."
EUFOR was stationed in eastern Chad to protect displaced people and refugees fleeing from war-ravaged Darfur in neighbouring Sudan. On Monday, Deby had accused EUFOR of cooperating with rebels.
"We welcomed EUFOR with joy ... but it took us by surprise to see, in the first hostile situation, this force co-operating with the invaders," the president said in a televised address.
"We have the right to question the effectiveness of this force and how useful its presence is in Chad," he said.
The mainly French EUFOR force, expected to reach 3 700 soldiers, was sent to Chad in mid-March for one year to help facilitate humanitarian work and protect refugees.