Rebels seeking to topple the government of President Idriss Deby fought their way to a few blocks to the presidential palace on the weekend, but the government said they have been pushed out of the capital, N’Djamena.
Rebels seeking to topple the government of President Idriss Deby fought their way to a few blocks to the presidential palace on the weekend, but the government said they have been pushed out of the capital, N’Djamena.
Blames
Chadian Interior minister Ahmat Mahamat Bachir in a radio broadcast said that N’djamena was “under control and the Sudanese backed rebel forces have been scattered”. Foreign minister, Amad Allam-Mi, said in parallel radio interview that the fight for Ndjamena is over and also hurled accusations at the Sudanese for supporting the rebellion. He also threatened a retaliation on Sudan saying that they will go to Sudan if there is the need for Chad’s “security and intergrity.” The Minister for Mines and Energy Genaral Mahamat Ali Abdallah Nassour called the rebellion a Sudanese “declaration of war.”
After blaming the French for allowing aircrafts to fly from the airport which they had not taken, due to their efforts to allow foreign nationals to be airlifted, the rebels admitted some losses. They also claim that they have retreated temporarily in order to give people ample time to flee.
Earlier on, looters ransacked the national radio station building after government forces had abandonned it, making room for a brief rebel take over.
Humanitarian concerns
Aid workers have reported bodies littering the streets of N’djamena. Medecins Sans Frontier have reported hundreds of wounded civilians.
Meanwhile, more than 10,000 people fleeing the intense fighting that broke out at the weekend have arrived in northern Cameroon, according to Kousseri Prefect, Alain Fritz Ndibi. Ndibi said Monday that among the arrivals were Cameroonians and diplomats, noting that they were received by the local authorities with the support of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Red Cross.
He assured that the Cameroonian borders would remain open “for humanitarian reasons” to allow the civilians fleeing the fighting in Chad into the country.
AU and UN
Whilst peacekeeping efforts are being delayed because of the violence, the UN security council embarked on emergency talks to condemn the violence. The African Union (AU) has warned that it will not recognise any government that comes to power by force in Chad.
