(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-02-02 22:06

The United Nations decided to temporarily evacuate all its staff from Chad's capital because of the fighting, said William Spindler, spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.

The French and American governments told their citizens to assemble in secure locations.

The US Embassy said in a bulletin on its Web site that any American citizens seeking evacuation should immediately move to the embassy. State Department spokesman Karl Duckworth said the embassy had authorized the departure of nonessential personnel and family members.

"At this time the US is monitoring the security situation closely," Duckworth said in a statement. "The serious violence that has occurred has not been directed at any US personnel or facilities. We are taking all appropriate precautions to ensure the security of US mission personnel and all American citizens in Chad."

France's embassy in Chad sent messages over Radio France Internationale telling citizens to head to the Lycee Francais high school and two other locations in N'Djamena, a French diplomatic official said on condition of anonymity because government policy barred him from providing his name.

A hotel operator at the Hotel le Meridien, about a mile from the headquarters of President Idriss Deby, said gunfire and explosions had been resounding through the capital since 7 a.m.

The man, who would not give his name, said he had not seen any rebels. The line went dead before a reporter could get more details. Other phone lines were also dead and the information could not immediately be confirmed.

Rebels in more than a dozen vehicles drove past the Libya Hotel, which overlooks the parliament building, said a man who answered the telephone at that hotel.

"I saw more than 15 vehicles and they (the rebels) were firing into the air," said the man, who also would not give his name.

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