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| Sudan cuts Chad ties over attack | Sudan cuts Chad ties over attack |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Sudan says it has cut off diplomatic relations with Chad, blaming it for helping rebels from Darfur to launch an attack on Sudan's capital, Khartoum. | Sudan says it has cut off diplomatic relations with Chad, blaming it for helping rebels from Darfur to launch an attack on Sudan's capital, Khartoum. |
| Both Chad and Jem rebels deny working together to launch the assault on the Khartoum suburb of Omdurman, which the rebels say they have taken control of. | Both Chad and Jem rebels deny working together to launch the assault on the Khartoum suburb of Omdurman, which the rebels say they have taken control of. |
| The government said the rebel advance, the closest they have come to Khartoum, had been defeated. | The government said the rebel advance, the closest they have come to Khartoum, had been defeated. |
| An overnight curfew imposed on Khartoum has been lifted, but not in Omdurman. | |
| Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir made the announcement that his country was breaking off diplomatic ties with Chad on state television. | Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir made the announcement that his country was breaking off diplomatic ties with Chad on state television. |
| "These forces [behind the Omdurman attack] are all basically Chadian forces supported and prepared by Chad and they moved from Chad under the leadership of [rebel chief] Khalil Ibrahim," President Bashir said in his televised statement. | "These forces [behind the Omdurman attack] are all basically Chadian forces supported and prepared by Chad and they moved from Chad under the leadership of [rebel chief] Khalil Ibrahim," President Bashir said in his televised statement. |
| He added his country reserved the right to retaliate against Chad. | |
| Sudan has offered a reward of $125,000 (£64,000) for Mr Ibrahim's capture and information that leads to his arrest, Sudan TV reported. | |
| But the Chairman of the Justice and Equality Movement (Jem) Legislative Council, Dr Eltahir Adam Elfaki, said the group acted alone. | But the Chairman of the Justice and Equality Movement (Jem) Legislative Council, Dr Eltahir Adam Elfaki, said the group acted alone. |
| "Jem is self-dependent. It is a force that built itself from the equipment of the Sudan government following our activities against the Sudan government," he told the BBC from Libya. | "Jem is self-dependent. It is a force that built itself from the equipment of the Sudan government following our activities against the Sudan government," he told the BBC from Libya. |
| "We have defeated them in so many operations. And we are more than sufficient with equipment than to get if from Chad. Chad has nothing to do with this. It's only a Jem operation." | "We have defeated them in so many operations. And we are more than sufficient with equipment than to get if from Chad. Chad has nothing to do with this. It's only a Jem operation." |
| The Chadian government has also denied any involvement. | The Chadian government has also denied any involvement. |
| "The Chadian government has nothing to do with this adventure," Chadian Information Minister Muhammad Hissein told the BBC. | "The Chadian government has nothing to do with this adventure," Chadian Information Minister Muhammad Hissein told the BBC. |
| "Furthermore, we condemn this adventure and call on all the oppositions of Sudan to join the Abuja agreement for peace. We are surprised by this decision of the Sudanese government. I think it's the first time rebels of Sudan have hit the capital. The Sudanese government has lost its self-control." | "Furthermore, we condemn this adventure and call on all the oppositions of Sudan to join the Abuja agreement for peace. We are surprised by this decision of the Sudanese government. I think it's the first time rebels of Sudan have hit the capital. The Sudanese government has lost its self-control." |
| He said Chad had not responded to Sudan's cutting of ties. | He said Chad had not responded to Sudan's cutting of ties. |
| "We didn't expect Sudan to break relations so we took no decision in response to the Sudanese decision now." | "We didn't expect Sudan to break relations so we took no decision in response to the Sudanese decision now." |
| Sudan says it has defeated Jem, but are still looking for rebel fighters who escaped. They say they do not want civilians to be caught in the crossfire as they continue to round up the insurgents. | |
| Proxy war | Proxy war |
| On Saturday, Jem rebels claimed to have taken the Wadi Saidna air force base about 10 miles (16 km) north of Khartoum, the suburb of Omdurman across the River Nile from Khartoum, and to have entered the capital. | On Saturday, Jem rebels claimed to have taken the Wadi Saidna air force base about 10 miles (16 km) north of Khartoum, the suburb of Omdurman across the River Nile from Khartoum, and to have entered the capital. |
| JEM REBELS Founded by Darfuri Muslims loyal to Islamist leader Hassan al-TurabiLed by lawyer Khalil Ibrahim MuhammadBelieved to have up to 3,000 fightersNow said to have fragmented into several disparate groups class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/7039360.stm">Sudan's Darfur rebels There is now an uneasy calm in Khartoum, although there are reports that fighting is continuing in the west of the city, says the BBC's Amber Henshaw in Khartoum. | |
| Schools in the capital are closed and residents are being warned not to leave their homes until they hear it is safe to do so. | Schools in the capital are closed and residents are being warned not to leave their homes until they hear it is safe to do so. |
| Residents in Omdurman said there had been some fighting on Sunday morning. | |
| One witness said people were very scared, that the atmosphere was very tense and that they felt unsafe. He said they were worried that Jem fighters might attack their homes looking for refuge and shelter. | |
| Sudanese state TV said Mr Ibrahim led Saturday's assault on Omdurman and had been injured during heavy fighting there. The report, monitored by the AP agency, said he was now in hiding somewhere in the suburb. | |
| But there has been no independent confirmation that Mr Ibrahim was in the city during the attack. | |
| A rebel commander, Sulieman Sandal, told the BBC that the attack sent out a clear message that while there was no security in Darfur, there was none in Khartoum either. | A rebel commander, Sulieman Sandal, told the BBC that the attack sent out a clear message that while there was no security in Darfur, there was none in Khartoum either. |
| Experts say Chad and Sudan are fighting a proxy war using each other's rebels to achieve their military objectives. | Experts say Chad and Sudan are fighting a proxy war using each other's rebels to achieve their military objectives. |
| The Jem is one of several rebel groups fighting the government and pro-government Janjaweed militia in the western Darfur region since 2003 over alleged discrimination by the authorities in favour of Arabs. | The Jem is one of several rebel groups fighting the government and pro-government Janjaweed militia in the western Darfur region since 2003 over alleged discrimination by the authorities in favour of Arabs. |
| The rebels have been involved in raids on government forces in the area before. | The rebels have been involved in raids on government forces in the area before. |
| Are you in Sudan? Have you been affected by the latest fighting? Send your comments using the form below: | Are you in Sudan? Have you been affected by the latest fighting? Send your comments using the form below: |