Chad: Rebels enter N'Djamena

AFP via translation | February 2, 2008

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via translation -

ALERT - Chad: Rebels entered N'Djamena

N'DJAMENA - Rebels entered Saturday in N'Djamena in the east and south of the city, according to witnesses, while automatic weapons fire were heard from the city center, has been a journalist ' AFP.

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http://chad.usembassy.gov/warden_02022008.html

WARDEN MESSAGE

February 2, 2008

The U.S Embassy would like to request that any American citizens who wish to be evacuated should come to the U.S. Embassy immediately. If you have any questions, please call the U.S. Embassy immediately.

[robomatik]

i’m shocked at this news! really! just shocked! /sarc>

[QBFimi]

The old name of the place was Ft. Lamy. The present name means “we have camped here” in the local lingo. Boy, were they proud of that.

I was flying 707s there in 1974 - a real garden spot. Guess nothing much has changed in 34 years. I’ll bet they still don’t have hot water in the Chari Hotel. My ham callsign - TT8DX - was on the Minister of Communication’s desk when Tombalbye was overthrown. Sigh.

[atomic conspiracy]

N'Djamena, then known as Fort Lamy, was the jumping off point for Free French General Jacques LeClerc's epic 1940 campaign to combine his forces with the allies in the Western Desert.

His force, recruited from colonial troops and recent refugees, first pushed north through what is now Chad for over 1000 miles, captured the Italian outpost of Khufra in southern Libya, then crossed the Sahara to link up with the British army in Egypt.

LeClerc commanded French troops during the liberation of Paris and later the drive into Germany, had traitors shot out of hand, and fought the Vietminh in Indochina. He died in a plane crash in 1947.

They don't make Frenchmen like they used to.

[tajgirvan]

May I ask Prayer for an American Christian Missionary kidnapped last October, 2007, in Chad? His name is Steve Godbold and is a good friend of another FReeper. May all those that need to be evacuated be protected and kept safe. Thank you.

[Nam Vet]

Don't tell me ...... this wouldn't be the fuzzie muzzies again, would it? Perish the thought!!! The Religion of Peace??

Nam Vet

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Latest reports say the rebels are in the east and south of the city, and are approaching the presidential palace.

I found an airport there on this Google Maps satellite view -

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=12.132523,15.032902&spn=0.039943,0.041499&t=h&z=15&om=0

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ALERT - About 2,000 rebels in N'Djamena

PARIS - Some 2,000 Chadian rebels entered Saturday in N'Djamena and face the Chadian forces, especially near the presidential palace, told AFP a source of the French army, which is present in Chad.

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ADDIS ABABA - The Head of State of Chad Idriss Déby is at the presidential palace in N'Djamena, around which fighting with heavy weapons were reported, said Saturday at the AFP in Addis Ababa on Chadian Minister of Affairs Amad Allam-Mi.

[Forward the Light Brigade]

Where is the French Army in this fight?

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They are sending reinforcements - not to fight the rebels, but to evacuate their nationals if needed.

[epow]

A missionary to Chad who I and my family have known from his childhood when we were members of the same church was kidnapped by the rebels last year and has been held by them ever since in an undisclosed location somewhere in Chad. The fighting in Chad now is probably not good news for him or for prospects for his release.

My family and many others have been praying for him to be released and returned to his family ever since we learned of his perilous situation. The purpose of my post is to ask any Christian FReepers who will to join us in praying for his safety during this shooting war, and that he will soon be released and allowed to return to his wife and family. Thanks in advance to anyone who will join us.

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Thank you for informing us of this situation, and I pray your friend’s return to freedom and safety. God bless the missionaries for all they do.

[VlPu]

Chad: the stage used to set the “legalize mass abductions of children” milestone. One of the jokes used: they are transported by Zoe’s Ark.

Reminder: Zoe’s Ark were condemned first December 26th 2007 to eight years hard labour in Chad for kidnapping 103 children, to be “deported” short after to France.

Before the episode ends with Zoe’s Ark back to the “children mass abductions” business as usual, one of the actors, Chad’s President, must leave the scene.
Too late for the french military to come to his rescue one more time.