Chad prevents Sudanese dissidents from entering Ndjamena

BBC Monitoring Africa, on Oct. 10, 2003

By Fa’iz al-Shaykh al-Salik published by London-based newspaper Al-Hayat on October 08, 2003

Nairobi: Chadian authorities have arrested two members of the Sudanese opposition, following the assassination in the Chadian capital of a Sudanese businessman and leading figure in the ruling National Congress Party, while the security authorities deported four leaders of the Sudanese armed opposition upon their arrival at Ndjamena airport and refused them entry.

Al-Hayat has learned that a few days ago the security authorities arrested two members of the “Federal Alliance” – a step believed to be linked to the assassination of well-known businessman Idris Bin- Umar, a leading ruling party figure in the Darfur governorate. Bin- Umar was killed last week when unidentified individuals opened fire on him and fled.

In the same context, Dr Sharif Harir, acting general secretary of the opposition National Democratic Alliance, reported that “the Chadian security authorities expelled him with three of his aides from Ndjamena airport and ordered him to return immediately to where he had come from, in line with high-level decisions that have been tightened up on Sudanese passport holders and on those suspected of belonging to the armed opposition in Darfur.”