Sudan-Chad conflict escalates

UPI: The war of words between Sudan and Chad has escalated, with Sudanese presidential adviser and communications secretary for the ruling National Congress Musafa Osman Ismail alleging that Chad is providing arms to rebels in Darfur and opening its borders. Ismail is the former foreign minister.

Ismail said that Darfur guerrilla leaders Col. Abdallah Abakar and Col. Jibril Abd-al-Karim were Chadian army members who received arms ostensibly bought for the Chadian army from Chad government ministers.

President Ismail said that despite the positive role Chad was playing to end the unrest, Chadian President Idriss Deby knew that some of his ministers and army leaders supported rebels in Darfur.

The Sudan Tribune reported that Ismail said that by refusing to implement the three-way agreement between Chad, Sudan and the Central African Republic to jointly deploy troops to protect Darfur's borders, Chad was instead inflaming the struggle, adding that cattle rustling was endemic in Darfur and that arms and ammunition were being provided from across the border.

Ismail welcomed African Union committee comments, which after investigating the allegations concluded that Chad's support for the Darfur rebels was an open secret. Ismail concluded that if Chad really had a case, it should present it at the AU summit to be held in Khartoum later in January.