By DPA
New York : The UN Security Council held an urgent meeting late Sunday to discuss the fighting in Chad, where rebels entered the capital N’Djamena in an attempt to overthrow the government of President Idriss Deby.
The fighting inside the capital surprised the UN and the European Union, which was poised to deploy 3,700 peacekeepers to the Sudan-Chad border to protect refugees. Diplomats said that the 15-nation council might issue a statement on the situation.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon issued his own statement, saying that he was “profoundly alarmed by the dangerous situation” in Chad, particularly in light of the heavy fighting in several parts of N’Djamena.
Ban said he was concerned by the deterioration of the humanitarian situation of some 285,000 refugees and 180,000 internally displaced people in eastern Chad under the care of international relief groups. Most of the refugees have fled the fighting in Sudan’s Darfur region.
“I urge all parties to ensure the safety and security of all civilians as well as international humanitarian workers and UN staff in Chad,” Ban said.
He called for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations to prevent further bloodshed, and appealed for all countries in the region to respect Chad’s international borders by preventing military incursions into Chad from within their territories.