Chadian forces killed in Central Darfur

Sudanese militants attacked a Chadian commissioner and killed two of his bodyguards in Sudanese territory on Friday, following the disarmament of Chadian forces. A French national has been kidnapped in Chad and reportedly taken to Sudan.

The Commissioner of the Chadian area Taisi, near the border with Central Darfur, moved with his security force into Sudanese territory, in reaction to the disarmament of Chadian policemen by Sudanese militants, a source in the area reported.

They managed to track down the perpetrators and clashed near Um Dukhun on Friday evening, resulting in the death of two Chadian bodyguards and injuring the commissioner. Of the Sudanese gunmen, two were reportedly also killed and three of them sustained injuries.

The source told Radio Dabanga that on Sunday, eight Sudanese were arrested in Um Dukhun and they have been moved to the Chadian military base in Taisi. All the wounded were transferred to a hospital.

Other tensions between Sudanese militants and foreign military forces in February led to the killing of dozens of Sudanese and Central African Republic militants near Um Dukhun in February. Members of Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had reportedly crossed from Central Darfur into CAR territory to prospect for gold.

French kidnapped

The Chadian Security Minister, Ahmed Mohamed, announced that a French hostage has been kidnapped from ​​Goz Beida, south of Abeche. He claimed that the kidnappers took him to Sudan. Sudan, Chad and French intelligence forces are coordinating efforts to find the French national, said Sudan’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday.