Mobile UPI  |   About UPI  |   UPI en Español  |   UPI Arabic  |   UPIU  |   My Account
Search:
Go

Rebels descend on Chadian capital

|
|
 
  
Published: Feb. 3, 2008 at 7:20 AM

N'DJAMENA, Chad, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- Rebel fighters supported by neighboring Sudan seized parts of the Chadian capital N'Djamena as French troops tried to maintain control Sunday, officials said.

Thousands of rebel fighters descended on N'Djamena on the second day of fighting throughout the city.

The fighting prompted officials to evacuate nearly 400 foreigners to nearby Gabon, The Sunday Times of London reported.

Fighting overnight had subsided but officials said heavy weapons fire broke out near the presidential palace early Sunday morning, officials said.

Witnesses reported seeing French combat patrols flying overhead.

France remains officially neutral in the situation, though it expressed solidarity with the government of President Idriss Deby. Chad is a former French colony.

Sudan blames Chad for backing rebels in Darfur and the conflict prompted a delay in the deployment of EU-backed peacekeeping troops to the region.

Topics: Idriss Deby
© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Order reprints
  
Join the conversation
Most Popular Collections
The Tibetan Moniam Festival in China Super Bowl XLVI ticker tape victory parade The making of the Oscars
The Chicago Auto Show The Most Desirable Women of 2012 Tu Bishvat Migron settlement
Additional Top News Stories
1 of 25
Meryl Streep and Colin Firth attend the "BAFTA" ceremony in London
View Caption
fark
You don't have to be too smart to coach high school sports. Just smart enough to not post nude photos...
There's vandalizing your school, and then there's doing a million dollars damage to your school
Police say Taylor Burnham, 18, was only wearing cowboy boots as she led police on a Sunday morning...
If you're working as a dog groomer and accidentally chop off a dog's ear, don't try to glue it back,...
After a two-year sting operation, the Feds shut down ... an Amish farm. Another victory in the war...
High school coach retires at 65 after getting arrested nude, "aroused" in car backseat with 17-year-old...