Page "History of Chad" Paragraph 47

On Friday, February 1, 2008, rebels, an opposition alliance of leaders Mahamat Nouri, a former defense minister, and Timane Erdimi, a nephew of Idriss Déby who was his chief of staff, attacked the Chadian capital of Ndjamena-even surrounding the Presidential Palace.

But Idris Deby with government troops fought back.

French forces flew in ammunition for Chadian government troops but took no active part in the fighting.

UN has said that up to 20, 000 people left the region, taking refuge in nearby Cameroon and Nigeria.

Hundreds of people were killed, mostly civilians.

The rebels accuse Deby of corruption and embezzling millions in oil revenue.

While many Chadians may share that assessment, the uprising appears to be a power struggle within the elite that has long controlled Chad.

The French government believes that the opposition has regrouped east of the capital.

Déby has blamed Sudan for the current unrest in Chad.