Chadian army clashes with deserters-witnesses

Dec 18, 2005 (KHARTOUM) — Large explosions and heavy fighting between the Chadian army and deserters were heard along the Sudanese-Chadian border on Sunday, Sudanese rebel fighters and aid workers said.

“This began last night and until now we can still hear very loud explosions and heavy arms being used from the area of Adre town,” said Hassan Khamis, a commander in Sudan’s Darfur rebel National Movement for Reform and Development, whose areas of control run along the border.

Adre is a small town in eastern Chad, a few kilometres (miles) from the border with Sudan.

The clashes add to tensions in Darfur, which has been in open revolt for almost three years. One of the main Darfur rebel tribes, the Zaghawa, live on both sides of the border.

Scores of Chadian soldiers deserted their barracks in late September before regrouping near the border, and the government has accused Sudan of using the deserters to fight rebels in Darfur and of backing Chadian rebel activities.

Chad has said it was prepared to send troops into Darfur to pursue the deserters, who pose a threat to President Idriss Deby by demanding his resignation. They are also accused of attacks on army bases in the capital N’Djamena.

Chadian officials had no comment on the reports of fresh clashes, but Foreign Minister Ahmat Allam-mi renewed the diplomatic offensive on Saturday, accusing Sudan of aiding Chadian rebels.

“This rebellion has continued to get bigger and bigger, and has now been joined by tens of Chadian army deserters, which clearly is an unfriendly situation,” Allam-mi told reporters.

“Sudan will not solve its problem by deflecting the attention of the international community by making them believe there is a major problem in Chad,” he added.

“LARGEST OFFENSIVE YET”

Sudanese army sources said the fighting had been sporadic over the past few days and crossed over the long, porous border between the countries, but they added the Sudanese army was not involved in the clashes.

Both Darfuri rebels and aid workers in the region have reported large troop movements over the past two weeks near the border, with reports of Chadian troops patrolling on the Sudanese side of the border.

But this was the largest offensive yet, aid workers said.

“We can hear loud explosions from here,” said one aid worker in the main West Darfur town of el-Geneina. The worker declined to be named for security reasons.

The Sudanese army source said they were in control of all the towns and villages but could not prevent the clashes spilling over the border.

“We are in total control of the villages and towns. All these clashes are happening outside the villages on open territory,” he told Reuters.

A number of Darfur rebel commanders fought in the uprising which brought Deby, a member of the Zaghawa tribe, to power. That revolt was launched from Sudan’s remote west, a vast area the size of France.

(Reuters)