Africa News
Sudan breaks diplomatic ties with 'rebel-supporter' Chad (Roundup)
By DPA
May 11, 2008, 11:33 GMT

Nairobi - Sudan Sunday announced it had broken off diplomatic relations with Chad over a row about Chad's alleged support for rebels from Darfur launching an attack on Sudan's capital, Khartoum.

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir accused Chad of being behind the attack on the Khartuom suburb of Omdurman.

'These forces are all basically Chadian forces supported and prepared by Chad and they moved from Chad under the leadership of (rebel leader) Khalil Ibrahim,' Bashir said.

An overnight curfew imposed on Khartoum was extended until further notice.

The African Union (AU) said it was 'deeply concerned' about the spread of the Darfur conflict to Khartuom in a statement released in the Ethipian capital Addis Ababa.

Chad and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebels have both denied any cooperation in launching attacks on the Omdurman suburb, where the rebels say they are in control - a claim denied by the Sudanese government.

JEM Legislative Council Chairman Eltahir Adam Elfaki, told the BBC from Libya that the group was 'self-dependent - it is a force that built itself from the equipment of the Sudan government following our activities against the Sudan government.'

The African Union warned Sunday that the rebel attacks would only further complicate the efforts to find a political solution to the Darfur solution.

It called on all parties in the conflict to avoid further escalation of the violence and announced that AU Commission President Jean Ping would be visiting Sudan within the next few days.

Relations between Sudan and Chad have been tense for some time as each accuses the other of being a safe haven for rebels. An EU peacekeeping force is deployed in eastern Chad, which borders with Darfur and has been most affected by the unrest and rebel attacks.

All schools in Khartuom were closed Sunday, which is a normal weekday in Muslim Sudan. Residents were urged to remain in their houses as far as possible even during the day.