Chad

President Idriss Deby has visited Sudan for the first time since 2004 for talks on the troubled Darfur region. The two countries have been fighting a proxy war for several years along their common border around Darfur. The BBC’s James Copnall in Khartoum says the visit is a surprise and has caught Sudanese officials off-guard. Sudan says Chad backs Darfur rebel groups, while Khartoum is accused of supporting armed militias who are active in eastern Chad. Analysts say the rebels function as an extra line of defense for each country, but add that this poisonous mixture has considerably worsened the dramatic humanitarian problems in both areas. Deby was greeted at Khartoum airport by Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir. (BBC)