Sudan expels Chad, AU troops
2006-07-01 21:17
Khartoum - Sudan has ordered Chadian military personnel working with African Union truce monitors in its western Darfur region to leave, said the AU on Saturday.
"Today all the Chadian representatives are gathered in el-Fasher and will leave," said AU spokesperson Noureddine Mezni. "We regret this decision ... and urge all sides to use dialogue to resolve their differences peacefully."
The 7 000 AU troops are headquartered in el-Fasher in north Darfur.
The ill-equipped force has been unable to stem the widespread rape, murder and looting which has forced 2.5 million people to flee their homes and killed tens of thousands.
Chad mediated a ceasefire, signed by the rebels and the government, in April 2004, but the truce has been widely ignored by all sides.
Under that deal a Chadian representative, and one from each of the two main rebel groups and a government official, must accompany investigations of ceasefire violations.
Diplomatic ties are cut
The expulsion of the 30 Chadian military observers is likely to further hinder AU investigations in the region and underlines a significant worsening in relations between Sudan and Chad, who have already cut diplomatic ties.
AU operations have been obstructed since a May 5 AU-mediated deal.
One of the three negotiating rebel factions signed the deal, and tens of thousands of Darfuris rejected the agreement.
The rebels say they want more political posts, more compensation for war victims and a role in disarming the marauding militia, armed by the government and known locally as "Janjaweed".
Many of Darfur's tribes span the Chad-Sudan border and Chad has been seen as integral to convincing those insurgents who have not signed the accord to join.
Khartoum rejects UN peacekeepers
Sudan accuses Chad of supporting the Darfur rebels.
Some Chadian army defectors said they had fought alongside Darfur rebels while in the Chadian army.
Chad accuses Khartoum of supporting the rebels, who have attacked many towns in the east. They reached the capital N'Djamena in April.
Earlier this year, a Chadian AU representative defected and joined Chadian rebels who have bases along the remote border.
The AU has expressed support for a United Nations take-over of its mission, a move Khartoum rejects.
The AU mandate expires on September 30, but the UN says it cannot deploy before January 2007.
UN secretary-general Kofi Annan hopes to meet Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir at a summit of African leaders in Gambia on Saturday.