Chad, Sudan agree not to support rebels
July 26, 2006 (N’DJAMENA) — Chad signed a peace deal Wednesday with neighboring Sudan after months of accusations from both sides about rebel attacks and brutal cross-border raids.
The agreement calls for a joint military commission to monitor the border and “forbids the presence of rebel elements” in both counties, according to a statement by the Chadian government.
The statement was signed by Chad’s minister of territorial administration, General Mahamat Ali Abdallah Nassour, and Sudanese Foreign Minister Lam Akol Ajaween.
Back from Chad the Sudanese Foreign Minister said they established a mechanism for solving all forms of problems within a month.
Akol announced that a meeting will be held soon between the Sudanese president, Omer Al-Bashir, and the Chadian President, Idris Deby, to settle the political, military and security files, which have been agreed upon during his visit to N’djamena.
Chadian President Idriss Deby and Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir signed an agreement in Tripoli, Libya, on Feb. 8, pledging to normalize diplomatic relations and work to prevent the presence of rebel groups on each other’s territory.
But relations worsened in the following months. The two countries have accused each other of fomenting instability, and Chad blamed Sudan for backing an unsuccessful rebel attack on its capital, N’Djamena on April 13. Khartoum denied any involvement.
Decades of low-level clashes in Sudan’s Darfur over land and water erupted into crisis in early 2003 when ethnic African rebel groups rose up against the Arab-led government, which responded by unleashing ethnic Arab militias known as janjaweed, who have been accused of atrocities. The Sudanese government denies backing the janjaweed but agreed under a May 5 peace agreement with the largest rebel group to disarm and disband them.
The conflict in Darfur has killed around 300,000 people and forced over 2 million to flee their homes 200,000 to flee their villages. Some 235,000 Sudanese refugees from Darfur fled across the border in Chad. An estimated 50,000 Chadians have also fled their homes near the border.
(ST/AP)