BRUSSELS, Feb 5 (Reuters) - The European Commission said on Tuesday it was concerned violence in Chad's capital could disrupt aid deliveries in the east of the country, saying deploying a delayed EU force was vital to keep aid flowing. The 27-nation bloc had planned to start deploying the 3,700-strong EUFOR mission to eastern Chad last Friday to protect civilians from a spillover of violence from Darfur and ensure that aid groups could work there. But it suspended the move when a column of rebels stormed into the capital and tried to overthrow President Idriss Deby. "The European Commission is very concerned that the current conflict could adversely affect on-going humanitarian relief efforts in eastern Chad," said John Clancy, the EU executive's aid spokesman. The rebels stormed into the oil-producing central African country's capital at the weekend before withdrawing. Fighting grounded aid flights, choked fuel supplies and forced many relief groups to suspend operations. Humanitarian groups said on Monday that violence in N'Djamena could halt aid to hundreds of thousands of refugees in the east of the country, saying that humanitarian networks depended on planes flying in and out of the capital. "We maintain that the (EU) force is needed to ensure a humanitarian space to protect refugees, civilians and humanitarian aid workers," Clancy said. EU diplomats say the suspension of the mission is temporary and the bloc aims at launching it as soon as possible. They give no date, saying this depends on the situation on the ground. The EU executive announced on Tuesday 2 million euros ($2.96 million) of emergency aid to provide food and clean water to Chadians who have taken refuge in Cameroon to flee the violence. "Chad faces being hemmed in by humanitarian crises both in the east and in the west as many civilians flee N'Djamena into neighbouring Cameroon," Clancy said. Security analyst Bjoern Seibert, a U.S.-based expert on Chad, said in an interview on Monday the rebel incursion was aimed at disrupting the EU peacekeeping deployment to the country and its task now looked even more challenging. (Reporting by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Mark John)
A woman shows a wound as she crosses the Ngueli bridge over the Logone-Chari river into Cameroon fleeing fighting in N'Djamena February 4, 2008. The U.N. Security Council urged countries on ...
