Deadly clashes broke out between the Central African Republic (CAR) army and rebels who crossed into the country from neighbouring Chad, the CAR Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.
”Heavily armed” Chadian rebels attacked forces of the CAR and the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (Cemac) near Gordil in the north-east of the country, the ministry said.
”The fighting that followed was particularly intense, causing a number of deaths on both sides,” the ministry said in statement, without providing an exact toll.
A CAR military source said on condition of anonymity that 71 Chadian rebels and five members of the CAR/Cemac force died in the fighting, which took place overnight from Sunday until Monday near the Chadian border, about 800km from the capital Bangui.
Chadian rebels opposed to the regime of their country’s President Idriss Déby Itno have crossed into CAR territory several times in recent months, prompting Bangui to denounce the incursions.
Two CAR soldiers were killed in an earlier clash with rebels on May 26. CAR also claims armed rebels passed through its territory from Sudan on April 8 and 9, a few days before Chadian rebels of the United Front for Change launched an unsuccessful armed coup attempt against Déby.
The president of the CAR, Francois Bozize, is a faithful supporter of Déby, who helped him win power in 2003.
The CAR government on Tuesday denounced what it called ”extremely serious events, which demonstrate that Central African soil has become a real battle ground for the opponents of the N’Djamena regime” of Déby.
It added a call for international assistance to help stop the violence. — AFP
