Chad accuses Sudan of planning attack

May 15, 2006 (N’DJAMENA) — Chad’s government on Monday accused neighbouring Sudan of preparing a “fresh attack” on its soil.

Chad’s Communications Minister Hourmadji Moussa Doumgor said the Sudanese government had put together “a new group” of rebels led by Mahamat Nour Abdelkerim, the head of the United Front for Change (FUC), and other armed groups hostile to Chad’s President Idriss Deby Itno.

“This group was put together in Khartoum and supplied with arms and other military equipment before being transferred yesterday (Sunday) to el-Geneina,” a town in western Sudan on the border with Chad, Doumgor added in a statement broadcast on national radio and television.

Chad is calling on the international community to “react before it is too late” and warns that it “reserves the right to do everything we can to repulse all attempts to attack (us), wherever they stem from”.

Chad accuses the Sudanese authorities of funding the FUC rebels, who attacked the Chadian capital N’djamena on April 13 but were repulsed by the army. The following day, Chad broke off diplomatic relations with Khartoum.

FUC has said it will conduct fresh offensives in an effort to overthrow Deby.

The president was re-elected at the weekend with 77.5 percent of the vote, according to official results, despite an opposition boycott of the election.

(ST)