Rebels in Chad are vowing to push on their latest offensive against theChadian government, despite recent altercations with Europeanpeacekeepers. VOA's Nico Colombant reports from our regional bureau inDakar.

Rebels said they had one group of fighters about100-kilometers south of the main eastern city of Abeche on Sunday,while there were few clashes around Goz Beida, the scene of recentfighting.

A Dakar-based spokesman for the National Alliance rebel coalition says the rebels are very mobile.

MakailaNguebla says some fighters are still around Goz Beida, while others arepushing toward the capital, N'Djamena, which he says remains theobjective.

He called French soldiers helping the army of ChadianPresident Idriss Deby with surveillance enemies. France has apermanent military presence in its former colony, and its forces helpedthe Chadian army push back a rebel offensive that nearly toppled Mr.Deby earlier this year.

Nguebladismissed statements by France's Foreign Affairs Minister BernardKouchner saying France does not support long-time leader Mr. Deby. Rebels say they want all-inclusive political dialogue to organize newelections and end years of corruption in the oil-rich, mostly desertcountry.

The Chadian army responded to the latest rebeloffensive by sending out reinforcements east, and flying outhelicopters to bomb rebel positions. The Chadian government says therebels are mercenaries being paid by Sudan, a charge the rebels andSudan deny.  

Rebels say Chad's army is being helped byDarfurian rebels, charges that are also denied. Repeated mediationefforts between Chad and Sudan have all failed.

Rebelspokesman Nguebla says that in the recent confusion Europeanpeacekeepers started firing at National Alliance positions, and that heregrets what he called this lack of neutrality.

A spokesman forthe European peacekeeping force said it was fired upon by unidentifiedarmed elements on Saturday and that it fired back.  

A statementthen said the firing took place when peacekeepers were caught in thecross-fire involving unidentified armed elements and the Chadian army. The peacekeeping force is made up mostly of French soldiers, but alsoincludes peacekeepers from other European countries.

The forceis meant to protect hundreds of thousands of refugees from the nearbyDarfur conflict, as well as hundreds of thousands of displacedChadians. It also has troops in the Central African Republic.

GozBeida in eastern Chad is a main center for international relief camps. Aid workers said no one had been injured in the camps during the recentfighting, but that there had been heavy looting of their offices in GozBeida. They said residents were cheering on Saturday when the rebelsbriefly took over Goz Beida.