Chad President Claims 'Control' of Country

The president of Chad said today his forces had reclaimed control of the whole nation, the AP reports. "Security forces have repulsed the aggressors. The mercenaries directed by Sudan have been forced to flee," Idriss Deby said in his first public remarks since the uprising began last week. A rebel leader, however, said the coalition had accepted a ceasefire negotiated by Libya.

Deby said the army was in pursuit of the rebels and would “catch them before they enter Sudan," again alleging Khartoum’s support for the insurgency. Aid groups criticized a blockade imposed by the Chadian government since hostilities erupted, saying refugee camps in the East—which house refugees from Darfur as well as displaced Chadians—were running low on food. (More Chad stories.)