Chad's president says Khartoum regime is secretly exporting Darfur crisis to Chad

"The Khartoum regime is secretively going ahead with the recruitment of mercenaries and other elements to put into action its Machiavellian plan - the destabilization of Chad," Chadian President Deby said in opening remarks to the CEMAC mini-summit.

"These efforts at destabilization, cunningly orchestrated by Sudan, are deliberately designed to export the Darfur conflict to the subregion," he said.

"Chad has taken measures to face any aggression coming from Sudan."

Deby has accused the Khartoum regime of supporting Chadian rebels in the east, on the border with Darfur. Several new rebel groups have sprung up recently in eastern Chad, to where about 200,000 refugees from the conflict in Darfur have fled.

Deby's government declared a "state of war" with Sudan last month following an attack on a border town and has called for the African Union and international community to head off further escalation of the conflict.

Sudan has accused Chad of deploying planes and troops on its territory. - via Sudan Tribune 5 Jan 2006.

Further reading Sudan Watch 4 Jan 2006: Chad president wants Darfur put under U.N. mandate.