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M. Continuo

EU must seek Chad ceasefire "rapidly" to avert crisis


    DAKAR (Reuters) - European foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday must increase diplomatic pressure for a ceasefire in Chad to avert a major humanitarian crisis, British charity Oxfam said.

    Some 500,000 people, including refugees from Sudan'swestern Darfur region and Chadians displaced by war and ethnicviolence, are sheltering in camps in eastern Chad, but a surgein fighting has hampered aid and delayed the deployment of EUpeacekeepers.

    Many aid organisations evacuated foreign workers after arebel assault on the Chadian capital N'Djamena two weeks agoand are operating on a skeleton staff.

    Oxfam said supply routes to the camps had been closed andthat only two weeks' worth of fuel supplies for vital waterplants was left.

    "We have all the elements for a huge humanitarian crisisrapidly developing in Chad," said Nick Roseveare, Oxfam'sdirector for West Africa. "Europe must act rapidly beforethings get worse."

    "Europe needs to call for a ceasefire in Chad to protectbeleaguered civilians and increase diplomatic efforts to securepeace," he said in a statement before the Brussels meeting.

    Oxfam said camps in eastern Chad were unable to cope with afresh wave of thousands of refugees fleeing violence in Darfur.

    European peacekeepers resumed their deployment last week,after a brief suspension following the February 2-3 battle forN'Djamena, but the rebels have said France's strong support forDeby has made EUFOR a military target. French troops make upthe majority of the 3,700-strong force.

    President Idriss Deby's government, which accuses Sudan ofsupporting the Chadian rebels, called on EUFOR to secure theporous eastern border with Darfur.

    But EUFOR's commanders have said its mandate is to protectthe refugee camps and not engage the warring factions ineastern Chad unless civilians are threatened.

    "The Chadian government supports the deployment of theEuropean force, EUFOR, on its territory and hopes its presencewill really help to strengthen security on the frontier withSudan," said a statement from Communication Minister HourmadjiMoussa Doumgor, posted on the presidency Web site on Monday.

    Chad has recently threatened to expel Darfuri refugees,saying their presence is destabilising the region.

    Deby declared a state of emergency on Thursday, grantinghis government exceptional powers to censor the media, searchpeople and property, and tightly regulate all movement aroundthe landlocked, central African state.

    (Reporting by Daniel Flynn; Editing by Catherine Evans)