VOA常速英语2008年-Chad Rebels Warn France 'Not to Intervene'

By Kari Barber
Dakar
06 February 2008

While France is stepping up its support of Chad's government following a failed rebel attack on N'Djamena, rebels say they are not dissuaded¹. They say they have withdrawn² to the outskirts³ of the capital and are warning against intervention⁴ by the former colonial power. Kari Barber reports from VOA's West and Central Africa bureau in Dakar.

France's defense⁵ minister, Herve Morin, made a surprise stop in Chad's capital, just one day after President Nicolas Sarkozy told reporters that France was prepared to "do what needs to be done" to protect Chad's government.

Speaking publicly for the first time since rebels tried to unseat him, Chad's President Idriss Deby tried to quell⁶ rumors⁷ of loss of power. He told reporters that his government was in control of the entire country Wednesday.

France has more than 1,000 troops in Chad. Most are based there permanently⁸ on the basis of a military accord.

French Defense Minister Morin says French military aircraft have been patrolling the border with Sudan since earlier this week to monitor armed incursions from outside Chad.

Last week in N'Djamena, Chadian forces fought two days of battles against rebels who want President Idriss Deby out of power. The number of dead is still uncertain, but hundreds were wounded and tens of thousands of refugees fled into neighboring Cameroon and Nigeria.

The U.N. Security Council condemned⁹ the attacks and called for member states to support Mr. Deby's government.

Exiled Chadian rebel spokesman Makaila Nguebla says if the French meddle¹⁰ militarily, the rebels will no longer make a distinction between Chadian and French soldiers.

Nguebla says attacks could resume in the next couple of days.

Nguebla says rebels are 30 kilometers outside the city planning their strategy. The government says rebels have been crushed, and that their fighters are fleeing in every direction.

Meanwhile, Arnaud Royer, a London-based Chad expert for Amnesty International, says there are concerns the Chadian government may be committing human rights abuses in the midst of the conflict. Royer says at least four opposition¹¹ leaders have turned up missing since the fighting began.

He says rights groups are asking the French government to use their influence to help.

"The government and some authorities say they will consider it, but consider is not enough at this point," Royer said. "They should definitely go beyond considering this issue. They should go talk to the Chadian authorities and say that it should be key that the people should be either charged if they say the committed a crime or unconditionally¹² released."

Chad's rebels say they want to replace President Idriss Deby, who they say is corrupt¹³ and abusive, with a democratic government. Mr. Deby says the rebels are backed by Sudan, a charge Sudanese officials deny.

1 dissuaded   

劝（某人）勿做某事，劝阻( dissuade的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was easily dissuaded from going. 他很容易就接受劝告不走了。
• Ulysses was not to be dissuaded from his attempt. 尤利西斯想前去解救的决心不为所动。

2 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

3 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

4 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

5 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。

6 quell   

v.压制，平息，减轻

参考例句：

• Soldiers were sent in to quell the riots.士兵们被派去平息骚乱。
• The armed force had to be called out to quell violence.不得不出动军队来镇压暴力行动。

7 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

9 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

10 meddle   

v.干预，干涉，插手

参考例句：

• I hope he doesn't try to meddle in my affairs.我希望他不来干预我的事情。
• Do not meddle in things that do not concern you.别参与和自己无关的事。

11 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

12 unconditionally   

adv.无条件地

参考例句：

• All foreign troops must be withdrawn immediately and unconditionally. 所有外国军队必须立即无条件地撤出。
• It makes things very awkward to have your girls going back unconditionally just now! 你们现在是无条件上工，真糟糕！ 来自子夜部分

13 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。