Fighting on the Chadian border
Special permission to Sudan Tribune
PARIS, March 18, 2004 (TTU) — Right after the battle, that took place between the Chadian army and the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (SGPC), headed by Abderrezak El Para, the French authorities reportedly sent to N’djamena a Transall transport aircraft filled with weapons and ammunitions.
The battle is said to have taken place in the northern part of the country when a group from the SGPC composed of 48 elements was trying to cross the border to enter Libyan territory in order to reach the southern part of Algeria.
There is a strong U.S. presence in this area as part of the Pan Sahel initiative, launched by the U.S. in coordination with Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Cameroon.
The fighting reportedly resulted in the deaths of 35 Islamist combatants and the capture of 9 of them. Backing the Algerian Islamists were about 10 Nigerians and Malians, as well as one Chadian. The latter reportedly belongs to the Chadian opposition movement MDJT, which is the subject of much concern among French authorities.
Westerners are anxiously following developments in Chad, which could be destabilised by the Darfour conflict. Observers have also noted some tensions in the relationship between Khartoum and N’djamena, after Chadian troops crossed the Sudanese border, in order to prevent any infiltration from Janjawid militia into Chad.
Within Chad, top officers are no longer hiding their sympathy for the Darfour rebels. According to some sources, the Egyptian air force bombed the rebel positions. President Idriss Deby agreed to organise a reconciliation conference in N’djamena, despite opposition from Khartoum-which does not wish to see such a conference take place outside of Sudan.
The position of Chad’s president is backed by the U.S. and France. Both countries have signed a common position on this respect, following a phone conversation between Colin Powell and Dominique de Villepin.
The United States is willing to reach a solution before the signature of a peace agreement between the Sudanese government and the SPLA. According to observers, Khartoum should not reject the French initiative, fearing to have against them the Franco-German axis.
This initiative follows last December’s Abach agreement, as well as Dominique de Villepin’s visit to Khartoum.
The French initiative, more than a cease fire, provides an international control, whose terms have however not yet been settled, and could lead either only to a simple body of observers (such as in the Nuba mountains) or to a multi-national force-and part of the peace keeping force which should be sent to Sudan when the peace treaty will be signed.
However pressure on the Sudanese government is intensifying, after about 20 countries, among which Egypt, indicated to United Nation Secretary General Kofi Anan that they were ready to take part in such a force.
Regarding the conference to be held in N’djamena (neither the schedule, nor the topics have been indicated), it will be agreed to by the SLA and the Justice and Equality Front after receiving the promise that their security will be granted by the U.S.