- Fresh accusations of hostilities have resurfaced between neighbouring Chad and Sudan just a few hours after penning down a truce pact in Doha at the weekend.
Chad accused Sudan today of sending armed groups into the east of the country, to which Sudanese officials have dismissed as untrue and probably an internal issue that Chad should deal with on its own.
A spokesperson of the Sudanese foreign ministry said there was no such incursion as alleged by the Chadian authorities.
The two neighbours, have exchanged diplomatic fireworks since last year's accusation by the Khartoum administration that Chadian president, Idriss Deby, had an involvement in an attack on the Sudanese capital by Darfur rebels.
Both countries have also continually accused each side of support to rebels groups in each others territory.
Despite the counter accusations and denials of the latest incursion, independent reports have confirmed a move into Chad from Sudan by armed groups, though it could not be said if they were indeed Sudanese soldiers.
The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had yesterday welcomed the agreement signed between Chad and Sudan, expressing the hope that it will ease the strain between the bordering African nations.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr Ban called on the two governments to work towards fully implementing the accord signed in Doha and facilitated by Qatar and Libya.
“The Secretary-General expresses the hope that this positive development will result in a de-escalation of tensions and foster the conditions for stability in the sub-region,” the statement said.
Mr Ban, in a separate statement, had also voiced his concern at reports of the recent build-up and movement of armed elements on both sides of the Chad-Sudan border, and called on the two countries to ease tensions.
The UN chief had alerted the international community to the “tense and unpredictable” security situation along the border during February and March, in his most recent report on the deployment of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID).
Last week in a briefing to the Security Council, Rodolphe Adada, the Joint African Union-UN Special Representative for Darfur and head of UNAMID, cited the state of relations between Sudan and Chad as an important factor with regard to the ongoing conflict in Darfur.
An estimated 300,000 people have been killed and another 2.7 million have been forced from their homes in Darfur since fighting erupted in 2003, pitting rebels against government forces and allied Janjaweed militiamen.
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