Chad rebels take positions
Sunday, 03 Feb 2008 09:09
Rebels in Chad enter country's capital as they seek to oust incumbent president from power.
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Rebels in Chad are taking positions in the country's capital N'Djamena in spite of reports of a ceasefire deal being brokered by neighbouring Libya.
Forces seeking to depose incumbent president Idriss Deby have reportedly captured large parts of territory in the central
African nation's main city.
A rebel spokesman Abderaman Koulamallah has said that ceasefire negotiations had taken place with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi but fighting would only stop if two other rebel leaders agreed to the deal.
The Reuters news agency reports eyewitnesses as saying that they could hear firing and explosions from the direction of the presidential palace.
Former colonial power France, which has troops guarding its citizens in the country, has arranged the departure of 74 foreigners to Libreville, the capital of Gabon.
The situation in the country has alarmed the international community with the United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) expressing concern over rising violence in the country.
UN secretary general Ban-Ki moon said he deplored "any action that could worsen the already grave humanitarian situation in the country".
He urged both parties to the conflict to enter into negotiations to resolve their differences and to abide by peace accords they had previously signed.
AU commission chairman Jean Ping told reporters at the body's summit in Ethiopia that the members of the organisation were "really, deeply preoccupied by the situation" in Chad.
The
European Union (EU) recently announced that it would deploy a peacekeeping force to the eastern-part of the country.