NEWS THAT IS RARELY REPORTED IN THE USA ~ NEWS FROM CHAD

I include news about Darfur because it very seldom gets media attention in the United States of America. So many don't even know about the five year genocide that is going on in Darfur and the spilling over into neighboring Chad. Here is an email that I received and the article about the people trapped in Chad during some traumatic times.

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Fighting in N'djamena, Chad
February 2, 2008 post
Fighting has broken out in N'djamena. The team are still in the hotel there, where are they are uploading videos and updating journal entries.

Hi everyone,

I've been up all night monitoring the fighting in Chad. Gabriel and his team from Stop Genocide Now are trapped in N'djamena, the capital of Chad, while the rebels overrun the city. He can hear fighting outside. The presidential palace, the target of the rebels, is only two blocks away. I spoke to him just now by phone and could hear shots and explosions. I feel so helpless. Please pray for them. The US embassy told them to stay put. They are all huddled together in the dining room. They are hoping that the rebels just want to take over the presidential palace and overthrow the government, and won't want anything in the hotel. They will try to get out with the French soldiers if they leave. It's Saturday, but you might want to consider contacting any elected official you know to urge the US State Department to get them out immediately. If anyone has suggestions, please pass them along. They are trying to post messages at their website when possible (www.stopgenocidenow.org).

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Part 2: Fighting in N'djamena
February 2, 2008 post
Our team see crossfire in the hotel in the capital of Chad. There is fire in the direction of the presidential palace, and lots more gunshots

Story from BBC NEWS:

Eyewitness: 'Revolution's going on'

American aid worker Katie-Jay Scott, who is staying at a hotel in the centre of Chad's capital, N'Djamena, told BBC News of the fear that has gripped the city amid fierce gun battles between rebels and government troops.

The French military came at 0700 this morning and told us to stay inside the hotel.

From the third-floor we can see smoke coming from around the presidential palace about a kilometre-and-a-half away.

We hear gunfire and artillery and large explosions that shake the windows of the hotel.

It will be eerily quiet and then suddenly the gunfire starts up again.

We run to the back of the hotel, or the front, depending on where the shooting is coming from.

'A completely different city'

The French put snipers on the hotel roof, shut the main gates and make patrols of the hotel grounds.

I guess the main danger is from a stray bullet but I don't think the rebels are interested in this hotel.

They want to seize the main government buildings. It seems like there's a revolution going on.

The US embassy is instructing us to stay put and says we'll only evacuate if the French evacuate.

Some World Bank staff and people in World Food Programme vehicles were evacuated this morning.

When we got here a couple of days ago the streets were noisy and crowded with traffic and young people selling cell phone cards.

But since yesterday the streets have been completely empty, everyone was too scared to leave home as they knew the rebels were nearby. There's not a civilian on the street. It's a completely different city.

The mobile phone networks have all been shut down for a couple of days now.

Yesterday there were lots of helicopters and military planes in the skies above N'Djamena but there's none today.

We can just hear military vehicles, sounds like trucks and tanks rushing past.

Published: February 2, 2008 England time

Source:
BBC News Great Britain

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Fighting in N'djamena: Part 3
February 2, 2008 post
Gabriel and the rest of the i-ACT field team are stuck in a hotel in N'djamena waiting to be evacuated. There is still fighting going on outside...

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