Chad threatens Darfur peace agreement
June 8, 2006 (PARIS) — Chadian president seems worry from the signing of Darfur peace deal and seeks to support the rebel holdout groups in the troubled western province, Sudan Tribune has learned.
Reliable sources said that Chad’s president Idriss Deby fears to become vulnerable in his military confrontation with the Sudan supported Chadian rebels, specially that Darfur rebels protected his eastern front and participated actively in attacks against Chadian FUC rebels.
For Deby, Sudan must disarm and stop logistic supply to Chad’s rebels to have stability in Darfur region.
Chadian president is looking to form new alliance with Sudanese rebels and opposition movements. He encouraged the Chief of Sudan Federal Democratic Alliance, Sharif Harir, and supplied him with arms and vehicles, sources said.
Sharif Harir, a professor of social anthropology at the University of Khartoum, had merged his movement with the Sudan Liberation Movement in 2004, but soon after he marked his distance from the SLM after the emergence of division within it. He belongs to Zagawa ethnic group but he had never made it the point of rallying in his political live.
Harir departed from N’djamena on 21 May to Darfur region. The general coordinator of Harir’s movement, Ali Shoqar, affirmed on 29 Mai that 150 soldiers from the SLA-Minawi faction were killed and that a large number of weapons, vehicles and ammunition were seized.
Minawi accused the Chadian president, Idris Deby, of supporting the followers of Sharif Harir’s group to carry out acts of vandalization inside Darfur.
Meanwhile, the AU affirmed that its forces were attacked in Western Darfur State and led to the death and serious injury of a member of its soldiers.
The attack on AU forces occurred on Friday 26 May about 2 km (1.5 miles) from their base in Masteri near the border with Chad in south-west Darfur.
This development threatens the fragile peace accord signed on 5 May between Sudanese government and the main faction of the rebel SLM.
Harir is reported now in Asmara on the invitation of the Eritrean government with Khalil Ibrahim of Justice and Equality Movement and Abedlwahid al-Nur of SLM. Asmara hopes to convince them to join Darfur peace agreement. But Harir declared from Asmara that he would take this opportunity to discuss with the other rebels groups how to coordinate the “resistance”.
Earlier, the fonder of the rebel SLM Abdelwahid al-Nur said he will continues to reject the signed deal and to struggle politically to obtain Darfuri rights. Does he will keep on this choice or he will join the two Zaggawa leaders and seek Deby support.
Khalil Ibrahim of the JEM is already involved in the defense of the Chadian regime. His troops had participated vigorously in Adré battle to repulse Chadian rebels from it, different sources confirmed.
The Libyan leader efforts to reconcile Khartoum and N’djamena seem threatened by this move. Also, analysts say Paris position towards the escalation of the situation in Chad and Darfur is determinant because without the French support to deby the Sudan supported Chadian rebels will easily control N’djamena.
France announced its support for Darfur peace agreement. Nonetheless, Paris showed concern over the opened Sudanese support to the Chadian rebels. According to Paris, Khartoum backed April attack on the Chadian capital without prior consultations with the colonial protector.
(ST)