VOA常速英语2008年-Chad Rebels Cautiously Await European Force Dep

By Phuong Tran
Dakar
20 February 2008

After weeks of delays, European peacekeeping forces are preparing to travel to Chad's troubled eastern border with Sudan. While awaiting the arrival of the mission, Chad rebel leader Mahamat Nouri spoke¹ to VOA about rebel activities following their retreat from the capital earlier this month. Phuong Tran has more from VOA's West Africa Bureau in Dakar.

A group of more than 50 Irish officers are expected to arrive in Chad's capital N'djamena Thursday. They are then scheduled to travel 900 kilometers by land to join an advance unit of 200 U.N.-EU troops already in place in east Chad.

The troops are being called on to protect hundreds of thousands of refugees displaced by years of inter-ethnic fighting along the borders of Chad, Sudan and the Central African Republic. A dozen humanitarian² camps have been caught in fighting among rebels and governments in all three countries.

Mahamat Nouri, ex-minister to Chad Presidents Hissene Habre and Idriss Deby and now leader of the rebel Union of Forces for Democracy and Development, told VOA the rebels welcome the troops as long as they do not interfere³ with fighting between rebels and government forces.

Otherwise, Nouri says there will be problems.

The peacekeepers, expected to eventually number 3,700, face questions about their role. U.N. officer Kemoral Jadjombaye in the eastern Chad town of Abeche told VOA his concern is that the peacekeepers will be confused with humanitarian workers. That could complicate⁴ humanitarian assistance as long as there are lingering concerns about the peacekeepers' neutrality.

Rebel leader Nouri says the rebels do not consider the arriving European forces, known as Eufor, their enemy.

He says the rebels also do not consider the French, who had supported President Deby with transportation during the rebel attack earlier this month, to be their enemy.

Nouri says the rebels are only focused on toppling President Idriss Deby from power. He accuses the president of human rights abuses and refusing to share power outside his Zaghawa tribe.

A recently-formed coalition⁵ of three major Chad rebel groups tried to overtake the capital earlier this month, but retreated to the southeast after hours of fighting. The fighting further delayed the arrival of the European peacekeeping forces.

Rebel leader Nouri says it was a good decision the rebels decided⁶ to withdraw. He says it is best that the rebels pursue combat outside the capital. He says the rebels are regrouping, and will continue with their military operations to topple President Idriss Deby.

Rebel leaders from four of the biggest groups signed a peace treaty with the president last October. But fighting broke out months later as rebels disagreed on the terms of disarmament.

1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

3 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

4 complicate   

vt.使复杂化，使混乱，使难懂

参考例句：

• There is no need to complicate matters.没有必要使问题复杂化。
• These events will greatly complicate the situation.这些事件将使局势变得极其复杂。

5 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。