Sudan accuses Chad of supporting Darfur rebels

Jan 5, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — Presidential Advisor and Communications Secretary for the ruling National Congress Musafa Osman Ismail has said that Chad was responsible for the deteriorating security situation in Darfur through its provision of arms to the rebel movements and by opening its borders with Darfur.

He said Col Abdallah Abakar and Col Jibril Abd-al-Karim who had taken part in the rebellion in Darfur, were leaders in the Chadian army who received arms, bought in the name of the Chadian army, from ministers in the Chadian government.

In the first direct accusation made by a government official against President Deby following Chadian escalation, Musafa said that despite the positive role Chad was playing to end the problem, President Deby knew that some of his ministers and army leaders supported rebels in Darfur.

Mustafa, who is the former Foreign Minister, said that by refusing to implement the three-way agreement between itself, Sudan and the Central African Republic to deploy joint troops to protect the borders, Chad had assisted in inflaming the struggle in the region.

He said that livestock was being looted in Darfur and sold in Chad and that arms and ammunition were being provided from across the border.

Mustafa said Chad had two options, either to negotiate a reconciliation or use its military force to end the rebellion in Chad. He said it should not use Sudan as a scapegoat to cover up what was going on inside its territory.

He welcomed the decisions made by the AU committee which investigated the matter and pointed out that Chad’s support for the rebels in Darfur was known to the government, other countries in the region and greater countries.

He said if Chad really had a case, it should present it at the AU summit to be held in Khartoum at the end of the month.

(ST)