Chad’s Government Retakes Regional Capital

Chad’s army retook the eastern regional capital of Abeche Sunday, a day after rebels claimed to have captured it, Chad’s military said.

Rebels of the Union of Forces for Democracy and Development fled the town before dawn Sunday and Abeche was now under government control, Chadian Defence Minister Bichara Issa Djadallah told the BBC.

Several rebel groups, which Chad claims are supported by Sudan, have sworn to depose President Idriss Deby. Sudan denies supporting the rebels.

Aid workers said humanitarian aid in Abeche was looted overnight, the BBC said. The town, 100 miles from Sudan, is the central distribution point of aid to help 200,000 Sudanese who have fled the violence in Sudan’s western Darfur region.

Chad denies Sudanese claims it supports black African rebels in Darfur.