Emmanuel Braun Author

Hundreds of troops loyal to Côte d'Ivoire's Alassane Ouattara are waiting to launch what they say will be the final assault on Abidjan.

Chad's government is in total control of the country after beating off a rebel offensive, President Idriss Déby Itno said on Wednesday. Making his first public appearance since rebels attacked the capital, Ndjamena, on the weekend, Déby accused the president of neighbouring Sudan of backing the rebel offensive.

It is hoped that four more South Africans will be airlifted from Chad to Gabon on Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. The four South Africans were already at the French military base in Chad's capital Ndjamena. Three other South Africans remained stranded and were still hoping to fly out of the country.