AU envoy in Chad to see Deby

April 17, 2006 (N’DJAMENA) — An envoy from the African Union Commission arrived Monday in the capital of Chad N’Djamena with a message from its head for Chad’s President Idriss Deby Itno, an AU source said.

Special envoy Abdoulkader Toure, an aide to AU commission president Alpha Oumar Konare, was due to meet Deby Tuesday to hand over the message, the content of which was not revealed, the source said.

On Sunday Libyan African Union Minister Ali Abdelsalem met Deby, Chad’s Foreign Minister Ahmat Allami told AFP.

“We gave him the proof that Sudan was implicated” in the attack by rebels belonging to the United Front for Change (FUC) on N’Djamena on Thursday, repelled by loyalist troops, Allami said.

After the attack Chad broke off diplomatic relations with Sudan.

The AU last week condemned the attacks by rebel groups in Chad which, it said, were an unacceptable attempt to overthrow the government in place by unconstitutional means.

Libya co-sponsored with the AU a mediation effort that led to the signature on February 8 in Tripoli of an agreement by Chad and Sudan that they would prevent activities by rebels on their territories.

(ST/AFP)