France to intervene against Chad rebels

France threw its weight behind Chad's President Idriss Deby yesterday, saying it could intervene against armed rebels whose weekend attack on the capital threatened to trigger a fresh humanitarian crisis.

After obtaining UN Security Council backing for Mr Deby's government, French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned the rebels France would "do its duty" and had the means to respond to any unlawful attack against its former colony. France has more than 1,000 troops, as well as aircraft, stationed in Chad which have given logistical and intelligence support to Mr Deby's army in its fight against the rebels.

Chad has accused Sudan of supporting an offensive by the rebels, who stormed into the capital of the oil-producing central African country at the weekend before withdrawing after two days of fighting. Khartoum denies backing the rebels.

The city was calm on Tuesday. Ambulances collected the dead, although witnesses said some bodies still lay in central avenues. Some streets bore the scars of bullets and shells.

Fearing fresh attacks, more than 50,000 people fled south from N'Djamena into northern Cameroon across the bridge over the Longone-Chari river.