Togo agrees to take in Chadian rebel leader

Togo has agreed to take in a Chadian rebel leader, whose presence in the Central African Republic (CAR) has been a source of heightened border tension between the two neighbours, CAR Presidential Spokesman Prosper Ndouba told IRIN on Sunday. He said CAR President Ange Félix Patasse had obtained the commitment from his Togolese counterpart, Gnassingbe Eyadema, on 10 October during the former's one-day visit to Togo. The rebel leader, Martin Koumta Madji - who, Chad says, is really Col Abdoulaye Miskine - is to be resettled in Togo, West Africa. Chad asked for his removal after accusing him of conducting cross border raids from CAR. Similarly, CAR has demanded the expulsion from Chad of Francois Bozize, until recently the CAR army chief of staff. Bozize sought exile in the country after fleeing arrest for his alleged involvement in a failed coup in November 2001. Bangui has also accused Chad of allowing him to launch raids into CAR. A summit of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community, convened on 2 October by Gabonese President Omar Bongo to end the dispute between Chad and CAR, ordered the expulsions of Bozize and Miskine. The subregional leaders also decided to send to CAR up to 350 troops from Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Mali to monitor the troubled border and protect Patasse. They are expected to be deployed soon and stay for at least six months.