Chadian rebels deny receiving support from Sudan
April 1, 2006 (PARIS) — The Chadian rebel United Front for Change (FUC) which brings together several dissident Chadian armed movements, denied being backed by the Sudan as the Chadian government alleged.
In a rare interview with the press, the chief of the rebel FUC, Mohamat Nour, rejected repeated Chadian accusations of being in the pay of Sudan.
Nour told Radio France Internationale (RFI) “If we had received Sudanese assistance since 1994, [President] Idriss [Deby] would not be in power now”.
“I am a soldier. We are currently being forced to do it by the arms and we will then hold a national forum which will bring together all Chadians who will then decide on Chad’s political future and we, soldiers, will return to our barracks”, said Nour.
After violent clashes in eastern Chad on Thursday 30 March near the border with Sudan’s Darfur region with the FUC, the Chadian authorities admitted the death of over a dozen soldiers, but also the death of chief of staff of the terrestrial forces, Gen Youssouf Mahamat Itno, who is President’s Deby Itno’s nephew.
Nour said the government forces attacked with around 80 vehicles, eight charges and several DCA, defensive counter air missiles. They lost several men, as the officers say, and they turned back.
He said his troop had 24 injured and 10 deaths.
According to him, Chadian forces are currently trying to regroup very near FUC in a locality called Ade with the aim of attacking us, “but we are already to the west of Ade so he should realize that the game is over for him”.
These clashes sparked the displacement of a large number of the population estimated at 4,000 people, thus adding to the 30,000 displaced people already wandering in Darsila and the Asunga area, said Chad’s National Administration Minister Gen Mahamat Ali Abdallah.
Since October 2005, Chadian government forces have clashed sporadically with rebel groups in the eastern part of the country, near the Sudanese border, killing hundreds of soldiers and rebels. Chad has said Sudan backs Chadian insurgents, while Sudan has accused Chad of harboring Sudanese rebels.
(ST)