Chadian army, rebels battle near Sudan border - Is RDL/FUC leader Mahamat Nour dead or alive?

Chadian army, rebels battle near Sudan border - Sudan Tribune June 3, 2006, excerpt:

A Chad military source said the rebels were under orders from a former ally of Deby, Timane Erdimi, who turned against the president in December 2005 and has since become the head of an opposition movement.

The statement added that Mahamat Nour, the brains behind the United Front for Change (FUC) rebel group, had died from a heart attack in Dubai on Friday. It gave no further details.

Regarding Mahamat Nour, contradictory reports suggest also he is detained in Khartoum by the Sudanese security service.

Photo: Chadian rebel group FUC leader Mohamat Nour.

Note, a comment posted at Sudan Watch Jan 13, 2006 by unknown author of Genocide au Darfour, blog tells us:

"The commander in charge of the massacres in Darfur is called MAHAMAT NOUR ABDELKRIM. The "captain" Mahamat Nour, ex-officer of the chadian army, has commanded the Jandjawids with the sudanese logistic. He has been the principal planner of the genocide in Darfur. Thanks to his chadian nationality, he was used as an alibi by the Sudanese government."



Jan 14 2005 Chad-Sudan: A third rebel movement the NMRD has appeared in Darfur: The NMRD claims to be a breakaway movement from JEM, one of the main rebel groups in Darfur. NMRD leader said his group broke away from JEM in April last year because it disagreed with Tourabi, an Islamic fundamentalist politician, over the rebel movement.

Jan 28 2006 Sudan accuses Chad of shelling Arm Yakui, West Darfur - NMRD Darfur rebels attack Sudan army base in Arm Yakui

Feb 12 2006 Reuters exclusive interview: Mahamat Nour the Chad rebel leader demands change, by force if needed

Feb 20 2006 Two Chadian army generals desert, join rebels

Apr 2 2006 Mohamat Nour's Chadian rebel United Front for Change (FUC) aims to depose Chadian president Deby

Apr 10 2006 FUC in eastern Chad mount fresh offensive to get to N'Djamena and oust Chadian President Deby

Apr 11 2006 BBC Chadian rebels raid central town

Apr 11 2006 Propaganda war in Chad aimed at sowing fear and panic

Apr 12 2006 BBC Chad rebels 'advance on capital' - The BBC's Stephanie Hancock in N'Djamena says people in the capital are going to work as usual, but are not sending their children to school in case of unrest.

Apr 13 2006 Analysis: Conflict in Chad has roots in Darfur - by Africa correspondent of The Times.

Apr 14 2006 Tripoli Agreement: Leaders of Chad and Sudan on the evening of Wednesday 8 Feb 2006 signed a peace agreement in Tripoli, Libya under which they promised to immediately expel armed groups hostile to their respective governments. See Apr 10 African military monitors now on Sudan-Chad-CAR border.

Apr 16 2006 Sudan Tribune (Paris) Chad's rebels say govt using mercenaries, deny Sudan support: Darfur is in the throes of a civil war pitting Janjaweed militia loyal to the Sudanese government against rebels, some of whom come from the same Zaghawa ethnic group as Chadian President Deby. The FUC is alleged to be supporting the Janjaweed militia in Darfur. On Saturday the FUC and MDJT faction accused Deby's regime of recruiting fighters from among the Darfur rebels. "We have proof - we have captured several prisoners from Darfur's armed rebel movement," they said. The two groups also accused Deby of recruiting European mercenaries to fight them, with the help of former French gendarme Paul Barril. Barril denied the charges.

Apr 23 2006 Chad rebel prisoners say Sudan recruited them: "The Sudanese intelligence people were our contacts ... they were always dressed in civilian clothing," Colonel Adoum Maratis, a captured rebel commander who said he came from Central African Republic, told reporters. "We were given transport, communications. We were well equipped," Maratis said, adding that around 1,200 fighters in 75 pick-up trucks were involved in the attack on N'Djamena. Maratis said he was recruited four months ago in Khartoum at a meeting with rebel chief Mahamat Nour.

Apr 23 2006 Jan Pronk Weblog FUC, RaFD, SCUD - Chadian rebels had good contacts in W Darfur

Jun 4 2006 Sudan Tribune (Paris) Sudan releases Chadian rebel leader Sileick - Sudan arrested Sileick to support his rival Nour: Chadian rebel leader Mahamat Sileick released by Sudan has refugee status in France and says FUC's (formerly known as RDL) Nour is close to Sudanese security service.