Sudan says not involved in abduction of French aid workers

December 15, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese government rejected today Chadian accusations of being behind the kidnapping of three French aid workers in Western Sudan and eastern Chad.

Chadian General Oki Dagache who represents his country to the UN mission in Chad said Sudanese organized the abduction of the French aid workers to “to sow disorder among” the members of mission.

A group called Falcons for the Liberation of Africa claimed responsibility of three French aid workers: one abducted a Red Cross employee near the capital of West Darfur while one month later the same group kidnapped two others in north-east of Central African Republic on November 22 at Birao, near the joint border with Sudan and Chad.

“Such remarks can only be made by an ignorant individual who does not know the nature of the situation in the region,” foreign ministry spokesman Muaweya Osman said.

“Sudan is, by principle, against abductions and has been victim of such terrorist operations,” he further said.

Sudan and Chad relations deteriorated since 2006 when Khartoum started to suspect Ndjamena of supporting Darfur rebels. Then Chad began to accuse Sudan of supporting its rebel groups. The two countries signed five reconciliation agreements but failed to implement it due to the lack of confidence.

Last month October the two countries agreed to normalize relations but Ndjamena seemingly wants Khartoum to stop first its support to the Chadian rebels who resumed to carry out minor attack from time to time the positions of the Chadian army in eastern Chad.

Today, the rebels said had clashed on Sunday and Monday with the Chadian army near the towns of Ade and Tissi claiming killing over 100 soldiers, but the Chadian information minister Mahamat Hissene said today the fighting had been very brief and warplanes were called to support the ground troops.

(ST)