Russia urges international efforts to diffuse Sudan-Chad tension

April 3, 2008 (MOSCOW) — Russian Foreign Ministry called for increased international efforts to diffuse tension between Sudan and Chad in the highly volatile region in Africa.

Chad said on Tuesday that insurgents backed by Khartoum had launched a new offensive in the east of the country, while Sudan on Wednesday accused Chadian planes of launching air rockets against its positions in West Darfur.

“Moscow expresses concern over reports about the resumption of violence between Chad and Sudan,” the ministry said in a statement.

“Russia supports the efforts by international mediators, including the UN and the African Union, aimed at stabilizing the situation in the region and calls for further steps in preventing a new outbreak of violence by political means,” the statement said.

About 7,000 peacekeepers from the 26-nation African Union are currently posted in the war-torn region, but they are expected to be replaced with a 26,000-strong joint force from the African Union and the UN in 2008.

Since 2003, Chad and Sudan have accused each other of inciting conflict on their common border, especially in the west Sudanese region of Darfur.

Over 200,000 people have been killed and around 2.5 million displaced in the brutal conflict.

Last month, Sudan and Chad signed an agreement in Senegal aimed at stopping hostilities between the two countries, but rebels on both sides dismissed the document as “nonsense.”

(ST)