Chad's leader accuses Sudan of waging war

Rebels fighting to end Idriss Deby's rule attacked the capital, N'Djamena, last week and have vowed to disrupt a presidential election on 3 May in which he is standing for a third term after nearly 16 years in power.

"If there is no election on 3 May ... there will be a constitutional void and one cannot rule out a generalised civil war promoted by the Khartoum regime [Sudan]," Mr Deby said.

He accuses Sudan of arming rebels who raced in pick-up trucks from the east to raid N'Djamena last Thursday but were driven off in fighting that killed and wounded several hundred people. "Sudan has attacked Chad up to the very gates of N'Djamena. What do you call that if it isn't war?" Mr Deby said. "If we're attacked tomorrow, we'll respond. We don't want war, but we'll defend ourselves."

He said Sudan's Arab government was trying to export its "fundamentalist system" to the rest of sub-Saharan Africa. "Chad is a bridge. If that bridge gives way to Khartoum then the whole of sub-Saharan Africa runs the risk of being destabilised," he said.

Sudan denies helping the rebels, whom Chad says use the conflict-torn Sudanese Darfur region as a base. But most observers say Khartoum backs the rebels.

Chad says prisoners and military equipment captured in last week's fighting prove Sudan's involvement. Mr Deby said a joint United Nations/African Union team would be allowed to inspect them in the coming days.