Chad completes military operations inside Sudan – official

May 17, 2009 (NDJAMENA) — The Chadian army announced today its withdrawal from Sudan after capturing 100 rebels who had sought refuge there.

Chad air army raided three times the area of Jabel Sandu south of El Geneina, which lies about 60 kilometers inside Sudan. Chadian rebels said they were now based inside their country while Khartoum refused to react militarily to the Chadian incursions calling for political solution to Chadian internal problems.

“After following mercenaries inside Sudan, exercising our right of pursuit, the forces of defense and security have withdrawn this afternoon (Sunday) from inside Sudan,” said the Acting Minister of Defense, Adoum Younousmi at the presidential palace in N’Djamena.

“We cleaned all the bases of mercenaries within the Sudan up to 40 klm. We have destroyed seven pockets of mercenaries. The fugitives were treated by aviation without any collateral damage”, he further said.

“We will no longer allow any country to host mercenaries against Chad. Regardless of the depth (in foreign territory), we will destroy them where they are,” concluded the minister.

“We captured about 100 prisoners who will be shown within 48 hours,” he stressed.

This is the first official confirmation that Chad had sent ground troops into Sudan to pursue rebels who had launched earlier this month an attack against the government troops in eastern Chad.

Chadian President Idriss Deby said on Saturday “determined to get rid once and for all” of the rebels and will continue to exercise his “right of hot pursuit” in Sudan, which accuses Chad of bombing raids on its territory.

Yesterday also the UN deputy secretary general Haile Menkerios, speaking from Addis Ababa, urged Chad to take the diplomatic path, to end its difference with Sudan and to negotiate with rebels. This is the first time a UN official makes such statements.

The French government called yesterday to avoid escalation.

(ST)