Patrols
The Chadian military said a convoy of rebel forces had been sighted in the area around Oum Hadjer, but that there was conflicting information about its movements. A spokesman for the rebel group, the Union of Forces for Democracy (UFDD), Mahmat Hassan Boulmaye, told the BBC they wanted to overthrow President Idriss Deby's government."Our troops are at 200km from N'Djamena. So far there hasn't been any clash with government forces, but this may happen soon, as the army has been sent to meet our troops. So it may well happen in the near future."Meanwhile, army units have stepped up patrols on the streets of the capital, Reuters news agency says.France's embassy has closed the French school in the city, French radio reports.This comes after Chadian aircraft bombed rebel positions in the east near the border with Sudan on Tuesday.The peacekeeping force - known as Eufor Chad/CAR - to be deployed in Chad and the Central African Republic - was given final approval on Monday and will mainly contain French troops.France already has 1,100 soldiers in Chad under a 1986 agreement to guarantee "territorial integrity", but rebel groups believe the French helped thwart the attempted N'Djamena attack in 2006.Rebels maintain the Eufor Chad/CAR will not be neutral.
Late last year, the UFDD declared a "state of war" against French and other foreign forces because it said they were "bringing diplomatic, strategic and logistical aid" to the president.
As in the days of Noah....