Efforts To Provoke Regional War Continue in Horn of Africa

June 16 (EIRNS)—Efforts are continuing by the Anglo-Dutch financial cartel to foment regional conflict in the greater Horn of Africa area, as a means to dissolve the region's nations into a large number of fiefdoms based on ethnicity. Chadian rebels opposed to the government of President Idriss Deby briefly occupied the town of Goz-Beida, 40 miles from Chad's eastern border with Sudan, on June 14, according to Reuters. Led by rebel Gen. Mahamat Nouri, the armed column yesterday seized Am Dam, close to the capital Ndjamena, according to AFP. Nouri was a member of Deby's cabinet from 1995-2004.

According to press reports, rebel spokesmen say their intention is not to remain in control of these towns, but to reach Ndjamena. Nouri led a similar armed column which attacked the capital in February; his forces were repulsed after several days of fighting, forcing many civilians to flee to Cameroon. Deby charged Sudan with being behind the February attack, and his government has charged Sudan with being behind the latest attack as well. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir charged that the recent attack on Khartoum by anti-Sudan rebels of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), was supported by Chad.

One rebel spokesman reportedly agreed to call off the offensive if France and the EU forced Deby to agree to talks on the political future of Chad. Another spokesman called on France and the international community to stop supporting Deby.

The EU peacekeeping force in Chad says it is protecting the refugees living in camps from the rebels, but is not attempting to stop the rebel column. A minority of the refugees in the area of these two towns is from Sudan, while most are from Chad.

Senegal Hosts Hamas-Fatah Reconciliation Talks

June 9 (EIRNS)—Reconciliation talks between the Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah were held in Dakar, Senegal, under the sponsorship of President Abdoulaye Wade, in his capacity as chairman of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Wade had offered his services to Hamas and Fatah in March, and this is the first meeting.

"The Palestinian representatives ... thank the mediator for managing to restore an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect, which allowed them to discuss the fundamental interests of the Palestinian people," stated a communiqué signed by Hikmat Zeid of Fatah and Emad Khalid Alamy of Hamas, and Senegal's Foreign Minister Cheikh Tidiane Gadio.

According to the President of Senegal's Office, the mediation will take place over seven stages, but there was no elaboration.

Meanwhile, according to the Israeli daily Ha'aretz, Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, spoke by telephone with both Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman on June 7, about attempts at reconciliation between the two factions.