By Alistair Thomson
Hundreds of refugees who fled to Cameroon after the fighting in the capital N'Djamena that killed at least 100 civilians were returning back across the river border on Thursday.
One rebel spokesman, Ali Ordjo Hemchi, said the rebels had taken Mongo, but were being bombarded by French warplanes and helicopters, but there was no independent confirmation of this.
The renewed conflict has delayed the deployment of a 3,700-strong EU peacekeeping force to eastern Chad to protect half a million Sudanese refugees and displaced Chadians who have fled violence spilling over from Sudan's Darfur region.
"We want to launch a solemn appeal to the European Union, and France ... to make sure that this force is put in place as quickly as possible to lighten the load we are carrying," Deby said in an interview broadcast on France's Europe 1 radio.
The U.N. Security Council issued a non-binding statement on Monday urging member states to support Deby, but it fell short of France's original motion mentioning Sudan.
"Sudan called for evacuation of the opposition from N'Djamena and the opposition agreed," the powerful head of the intelligence forces Salah Gosh told state Sudan Vision daily.
Former colonial power France initially said it was "neutral" as fighting raged at the weekend, but has since thrown its full weight behind Deby. With warplanes and more than 1,000 troops stationed in Chad, France will make up the bulk of the EU force.
In an apparent gesture of gratitude, Deby, a former French-trained helicopter pilot, said he could pardon six members of French charity Zoe's Ark sentenced to eight years in prison by Chad for abducting children, if France requested it.
"The national armed opposition is more than ever ready and determined to oppose all aggression by the neo-colonialist French forces and others," the alliance of three anti-Deby rebel groups said in a joint statement.
Firemen and ambulance workers were still picking up bodies on Thursday, as people started to clear up debris from damaged buildings. Army pick-ups packed with turbaned soldiers sped around streets littered with burned out vehicles.
