Chadian President Idriss Deby announced on Friday that his country had decided to cut off diplomatic ties with neighboring Sudan, and meanwhile threatened to expel Sudanese refugees from the Chadian territory if no solution were found in solving the Darfur crisis by the end of June.

 

According to reports reaching here, Deby accused Khartoum of providing support to Chad's armed rebel groups, which were launching offensives around the capital N'Djamena.

 

"We have taken the decision to break our diplomatic relations with Sudan today and to proceed to close our frontiers," he told a rally in N'Djamena.

 

All Sudanese diplomats must leave Chad immediately, he said.

 

Deby also threatened to expel about 200,000 Sudanese refugees, who had been displaced by the armed conflict in Sudan's west region of Darfur and were taking refuge in the Chadian territory.

 

"If after June, we can't guarantee the security of the refugees, then it is up to the international community to find another country to shelter these refugees," he said.

 

Deby expressed dissatisfaction with the international community, which he said "has been totally deaf and dumb on the situation between Sudan and Chad."

 

On Thursday, Sudan denied any involvement in the fighting near N' Djamena between Chadian government troops and rebels attempting to overthrow Deby.

 

"Sudan has nothing to do with the incidents in Chad and considers them as an internal affair," Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Lam Akol told reporters.

 

Security situation in Chad is deteriorating ahead of the presidential elections scheduled for next month.

 

Rebels marching toward N'Djamena battled with government forces on Thursday, leaving hundreds of people dead, reports said.

 

But Deby said he had fought off the rebels' attempt to overthrow him and the situation in the capital city was still under his control.

 

(Xinhua News Agency April 15, 2006)