VOA常速英语2008年-Fighting Rages Northeast of Chad's Capital

By Nico Colombant
Dakar
01 February 2008

Government forces and rebels in Chad have been clashing northeast of the capital N'Djamena, prompting the former colonial power France to send in reinforcements to help the army. Rebels say they want to overthrow¹ President Idriss Deby if he does not accept a power-sharing deal. VOA's Nico Colombant reports from our West Africa bureau in Dakar.

Fighting with heavy artillery² started in the morning hours, Friday, about 100 kilometers northeast of the capital, around the town of Massakory.

Government officials say they were able to easily push back the rebel offensive, making what they called "mercenaries from Sudan" flee back into the desert.

Rebels taking part in the offensive said they had been able to set fire to dozens of army tanks and vehicles and were pushing toward the area of Massaguet, about 80 kilometers from the capital on the main road. There was no independent confirmation³ on details of the fighting.

Rebels also said they had columns ready to advance on N'Djamena from other directions. Many rebel leaders are former close associates and relatives of Mr. Deby.

An exiled rebel spokesman, Makaila Nguebla, says President Deby must negotiate a power-sharing deal, resign or face continuous rebel assaults.

Nguebla was angered by the troop reinforcements sent in by the former colonial power France.

He said it was another trick to keep Mr. Deby in power. He says he does not understand why France wants to impose what he called a "dictatorship" on the Chadian people.

France has a defense⁴ treaty with Chad which allows it to have a permanent military base in the capital. The French Defense Ministry⁵ said it had sent in an additional 150 troops to Chad as a precaution to help respond to the spiraling situation.

The French military said its Mirage⁶ jets and soldiers were helping⁷ Chadian government troops with logistics, surveillance and medical support, but not engaging in combat with rebels.

In N'Djamena, mobile phone networks were disrupted. Schools and many offices were closed. Many residents tried to stock up on provisions, while helicopters clattered⁸ overhead. The military also set up roadblocks in strategic areas.

Mr. Deby, a former rebel, took power in a coup⁹ in 1990. He changed the constitution to allow unlimited¹⁰ presidential mandates¹¹. Mr. Deby accuses Sudan of backing the Chadian rebellion. Sudanese officials deny this, and accuse Mr. Deby of backing rebels in Sudan's warring Darfur region.

1 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

2 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

3 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

4 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

5 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

6 mirage   

n.海市蜃楼，幻景

参考例句：

• Perhaps we are all just chasing a mirage.也许我们都只是在追逐一个幻想。
• Western liberalism was always a mirage.西方自由主义永远是一座海市蜃楼。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 clattered   

发出咔哒声（clatter的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He dropped the knife and it clattered on the stone floor. 他一失手，刀子当啷一声掉到石头地面上。
• His hand went limp and the knife clattered to the ground. 他的手一软，刀子当啷一声掉到地上。

9 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

10 unlimited   

adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的

参考例句：

• They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
• There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris.在技术方面自以为是会很危险。

11 mandates   

托管（mandate的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• Individual mandates would require all people to purchase health insurance. 个人托管要求所有人都要购买健康保险。
• While I agree with those benefits, I'm not a supporter of mandates. 我同意上述好处，我不是授权软件的支持者。