Desert conflict heating up

Chad accuses Sudan of cross border attack as rebels advance

NDJAMENA (AFP) — Chad on Tuesday accused soldiers from neighbouring Sudan of attacking one of its frontier garrisons, as rebels opposed to Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno claimed further advances on the capital Njdamena.

"After despatching columns of mercenaries to Chad and failing to secure strategic areas, the Sudanese army took matters in its own hands today and attacked Ade, backed up by helicopters," a Chadian government statement said.

"By openly engaging their troops and air force, Khartoum has finally thrown off its mask," it said, warning that Chad's "response will be sterner than Sudan is expecting."

There was no independent confirmation of the border attack.

Relations between Chad and Sudan have been difficult for more than five years with the two countries regularly accusing each other of supporting rebel factions fighting against their respective regimes.

Diplomatic relations broke off in mid-May after an attack near the Sudan capital Khartoum by a Darfur rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement. Ndjamena denied any involvement.

Chadian rebels claimed Tuesday they had wrested control of another eastern town and captured a senior military officer after fresh fighting.

"We have taken Am Zoer after violent clashes. We took prisoner a chief of the garrison," spokesman for the National Alliance rebel grouping, Ali Gueddei, told AFP by telephone.

Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana Tuesday defended the role of the European Union force in Chad, or EUFOR, and rejected accusations by President Deby that it was partisan and favoured the rebels.

"The force's mission hasn't changed," Solana said in Paris.

"There is no other function than the function chosen for the force. Everyone is strictly acting within the mandate," he said.

EUFOR is stationed in eastern Chad to protect displaced people and refugees fleeing from war-ravaged Darfur in neighbouring Sudan.

Deby on Monday accused had EUFOR of cooperating with rebels.

"We welcomed EUFOR with joy ... but it took us by surprise to see, in the first hostile situation, this force cooperating with the invaders," the president said in a televised address.

"We have the right to question the effectiveness of this force and how useful its presence is in Chad," he said.

The mainly French EUFOR force, expected to reach 3,700 soldiers, was sent to Chad in mid-March for one year to help facilitate humanitarian work and protect refugees.

Fighting near Goz Beida -- where some 80,000 displaced Chadians and 36,000 Sudanese refugees are camped -- on Saturday saw the Irish EUFOR soldiers exchange fire with unidentified gunmen. There were no apparent casualties.

The rebels said on Monday they wanted to reassure the non governmental organisations. Gueddei said their safety would be guaranteed by the rebels.

Heavy clashes were reported Monday near the town of Biltine, some 750 kilometres (470 miles) east of Ndjamena. The attack on Am Zoer marked a further westward step by the rebels.

They have vowed to attack Ndjamena, in a repeat of an unsuccessful coup attempt in February.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said Monday in a statement that the Chadian army had sealed off the city of Abeche as the security situation deteriorated.

Abeche, in eastern Chad, is the main operating base for the Chadian army, as well as UNHCR. As such, the agency said the lockdown on the city was "making movement very difficult".