Thousands flee capital of Chad

Press, 2 April 1980, Page 9

Thousands flee capital of Chad

j NZPA-Reuter .Paris,-I ] Tens of thousrnds of refu-.l I gees have fied N’Djamena, (the war-shattered capita! of t Chad, while rival factions appear locked in a fight to 1 the finish for control, i French officials have report- < ed. They said that more than ■ 80,000 refugees had fled : across the Chari River on,< N’Djamena’s southern out-' skirts into neighbouring;! Cameroon during 10 days of fierce fighting. A 50-stfong military medi-.: leal team from Paris and 50 i !tonnes of medical supplies; I were due to arrive in north-! ]ern Cameroon today to try ; ito help the refugees, they , said. “We don’t have any idea; ,how long they will be forced:, ito stay outside .the city,” ■ lone official said,' “but even (when the fighting ends there iw m’t be much to go back; ito.” I Eleven days of fighting ini the African country have] left, some 1000 dead and! 1500 wounded. i The battle between forces] loyal to President Goukouni Queddei and those support-] ing the Defence Minister! (Mr Hissen Habre) which is I;

-being waged in scorching heat, cut all water and electricity supplies in die. capi-, tai. ; The officials said that the President was now receiving! reinforcements from troops commanded by the Foreign Minister (Mr Ahamad Acyl)! who has a base in Libya across Chad’s northern border. They said that forces loyal] .to Vice-President Abdelkader' Wadal Kamougue, based to the south, were also trying to help the President by opening a second front on. the eastern side of the city. ; But they said despite what appeared to be the emergence of a loose coalition! .against Mr Habre. his forces were the best disciplined :and organised and there was no sign of a change in the battle line dividing the city. The officials said they! ;now saw little hope for a' I cease-fire, which Red Cross’ [Officials have been trying to; ] organise to evacuate civil-! • ians and wounded. I They said the factions an-; ipeared determined to settle! the power struggle which] |has kept the country in] ; almost 15 years of interImittent civil war.