Sudan says Chadian helicopters attacked military positions in Darfur
April 2, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese army accused Chadian planes of launching air rockets against its positions in West Darfur but the Chad dismissed the attacks.
Border tension between the two countries is mounting again. Last Tuesday, Chad’s defense ministry had accused Sudan of violating Dakar agreement saying that Khartoum was behind a rebel attack in the eastern town of Ade in eastern Chad.
Brigadier Osman Mohamed Al Aghbash, the Sudanese army spokesperson, said that Chadian military helicopters fired rockets into Sudanese army positions southern east Baydda at dawn today. Hours after, they attacked again another position in Um Tajok northeast of Baydda in western Darfur, he added.
As it was predicted by analysts Dakar Agreement can’t hold on as far as the two countries do not address their internal problems. The Chadian president, exercising a one man dictatorship, refuses to negotiate with political and armed opposition. And Sudan’s Darfur crisis is deepened by the lack of political solution.
However in N’Djamena, a government source denied the Sudanese accusations to AFP Wednesday “Chad had never bombarded Sudan. The Chadian army has never left its positions on the border,” said the source.
“The rebels came from Sudan and the Chadian army chased them until they went back inside Sudanese territory.” Chadian source added.
During the last week of March, Sudan and Chad traded accusations before the UN Security Council over Dakar deal breaches.
Khartoum’s complaint to the Security Council accused Chad of giving Sudanese rebels logistical help to enter Sudan’s western province of Darfur.
Chad’s Foreign Minister Allam-Mi denied the allegations, saying that Ndjamena had told the Security Council that Khartoum’s information was erroneous.
The Sudanese army spkesperson described the air attacks on West Darfur as a hostile act and a clear breach of the Government of Chad to the non-aggression agreement signed by the Senegalese capital Dakar on March 13.
He pointed out that the Government of Chad still arguing that Chadian opposition was moving from inside Sudanese territories
He reaffirmed the readiness of the Sudanese armed forces to deter any Chadian, foreign aggression or attack from rebel groups in West Darfur state.
(ST)