Sudan/France

Khartoum asks Paris to help ease tension with Chad

Article published on the 2008-06-19 Latest update 2008-06-20 10:22 TU

Bernard Kouchner

Sudan's Foreign Minister Deng Alor has asked France to act as a third-party mediator between Khartoum and neighbouring Chad. Alor met French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner in Paris on Thursday and claimed that Paris can play a "very neutral" role.

Khartoum today asked France to help in easing tension with Chad after being accused by its neighbour of backing rebels opposed to Chadian president Idriss Deby.

Sudan's Foreign Minister Deng Alor told RFI that Sudan asked France to mediate between the two countries since it could play what he termed "a very neutral role".

Speaking in Paris after meeting with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, Alor said he believed that Chad would welcome third-party mediation. He insisted that Sudan was not at war with its neighbour.

The Chadian army said today that it had stopped a rebel attack that had been moving from the east of the country. It also claimed to have won what it termed a "decisive victory" in Am Zoer, north-east of the city of Abeche.

The spokesperson for the National Alliance rebel group said 27 had been killed and 67 wounded and denied the Chadian army's  figure of 162 dead.