UN chief calls for ceasefire in Chad
February 3, 2008 (UNITED NATIONS) — U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, “profoundly alarmed” by the fighting in Chad, called Sunday for a ceasefire between government and rebel forces there, as the U.N. Security Council began an emergency session on the crisis.
It added that he is particularly concerned at the deterioration of the serious humanitarian situation of some 285,000 refugees and 180,000 internally displaced persons, as well as host communities, in eastern Chad where the international community is actively engaged in providing life saving relief assistance.
The Security Council meeting got underway at 4:30 p.m. (2130 GMT), as a lull occurred in the fighting between Chad’s government forces and rebels battling for control of the capital since Saturday.
Rebels said they had withdrawn temporarily from Ndjamena on Sunday to give civilians time to leave the city before they launch a new offensive.
The U.N. leader urged all parties “to ensure the safety and security of all civilians as well as international humanitarian workers and United Nations staff in Chad.”
“The Secretary General further calls on all parties to immediately cease hostilities and engage in dialogue so as to prevent further bloodshed.
“He appeals to all countries in the region to respect the inviolability of international borders and to prevent any incursions from being launched from within their territory,” the statement said.
The Chadian government has accused neighboring Sudan of backing the rebels.
The rebels, who entered the capital on Saturday amid intense fighting, acknowledged that troops loyal to President Idriss Deby had gained some ground. The city was calm late Sunday.
The offensive by three rebel commanders has opened up a new conflict next to Sudan’s strife-torn Darfur region, and France suspended the deployment of a European peacekeeping mission in Chad and the Central African Republic that it is meant to lead.
(AFP)