Chad cuts Sudan ties after attack

"We have taken the decision to break our diplomatic relations with Sudan today and to proceed to close our frontiers," Chadian President Idriss Deby told a rally in N'Djamena.

Mr Deby warned that the international community had until the end of June to resolve the conflict in Darfur, otherwise they would have "to find another country" to shelter some 200,000 Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad. He said he had ordered all Sudanese diplomats to leave the country. Full report BBC 14 Apr 2006.
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Sudan's government denied it was helping anti-Deby rebels

"Let me repeat that Sudan is not involved in these Chadian internal affairs. They have a revolt, we are not involved," said Sudanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Jamal Ibrahim. Full report Reuters 14 Apr 2006.

During a press conference at Khartoum Airport today Sudanese FM Lam Akol said Sudan hoped that Chad would remain stable. "Chad's instability would negatively affect the security in Sudan. What is taking place at the moment was a Chadian internal concern that has no connection with us" he said.



Photo: Chadian rebels from the United Front for Democratic Change (FUC), an alliance of nine rebel groups, on drill in rebel territory, February 10, 2006. Reuters/Opheera Mcdoom