By Mahamat Ramadan and Khalid Abdulaziz
Aug 27 (Reuters) – Chad has accused neighbouring Sudan of carrying out an air strike that hit a military convoy in its territory last week, and has raised its alert level in the area to its highest point, a security source said.
Sudan said on Thursday it was surprised its army had been blamed for the attack without an independent investigation, and that its forces were working to protect its sovereignty.
• The accusation comes against the backdrop of a more than three-year-long civil war between Sudan’s army and Rapid Support Forces paramilitaries.
• U.N. experts say Chad has been used as a route to supply crucial weapons from the United Arab Emirates to the Rapid Support Forces. The UAE and Chad deny those allegations.
• Chad said on Saturday Sudanese Armed Forces aircraft and drones pursued and bombed a military convoy inside its borders on Thursday last week.
• Chad’s army said the strikes took place more than 100 km (62 miles) inside its territory in the eastern Ennedi region, and that there were no Chadian casualties.
• Sudan’s foreign ministry said its forces “are carrying out their constitutional duty to protect Sudan’s sovereignty, security, and safety and to face any threats it faces, while respecting the sovereignty of its neighbours and without targeting their territory”.
• Chad had deployed around 100 armoured vehicles and signal-jamming trucks near eastern Tine near the Sudanese border in response to the threat posed by drones, a local source told Reuters.
• “The alert level has been raised to its maximum,” a Chadian security source said, adding that the troops are “reinforcing the position with equipment adapted to the new threat posed by drones.”
• The African Union on Wednesday urged all parties to exercise restraint and prevent Sudan’s conflict from spilling across its borders and escalating tensions with neighbouring countries.
(Writing by Ayen Deng Bior; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
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