Chad rebels attack town, EU troops shield refugees

GOZ-BEIDA, Chad-Rebels on the offensive in east Chad on Saturday attacked a town ringed by refugee camps but stayed away from European Union troops protecting thousands of civilians, witnesses and rebel spokesmen said.The attack on Goz-Beida, 70 km (40 miles) by road from Chad's eastern border with Sudan's Darfur region, came on the third day of what rebel forces say is their latest offensive westwards aimed at trying to overthrow President Idriss Deby.
Witnesses reported heavy fighting, in which smoke rose from the town and fire from machineguns and heavy weapons was heard.
A heavily-armed column of rebel vehicles was visible from a hill 12 km (seven miles) away entering Goz-Beida, but then left a few hours later.Goz-Beida is surrounded by United Nations-run camps housing tens of thousands of Sudanese and Chadian refugees. They are being protected by an Irish infantry battalion serving with an EU military force (EUFOR) that deployed in east Chad this year."There has been fighting around our compound in Goz-Beida ... but it's calmed down now," Aimee Ansari, program manager for Oxfam Great Britain at Goz-Beida, told Reuters. No details of casualties were immediately available.Spokesmen for the rebel National Alliance, speaking by phone, said Goz-Beida was under the control of rebel forces and that other insurgent columns were moving westwards. But there was no immediate independent confirmation of these movements.The Irish troops at Goz-Beida took up defensive positions to carry out their mandate to protect civilians and refugees. But no clashes were reported with the rebels, who appeared to have only targeted Chadian government soldiers.
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