The New Nation - Internet Edition

Reuters, N'Djamena

Chadian rebels fighting to overthrow President Idriss Deby battled their way into the capital N'Djamena on Saturday and were heading for the presidential palace, a foreign resident in the city said.

Rebel units from a column of 300 vehicles have closed in on the capital in their most determined offensive in two years. They fought with government troops on Friday in confused battles dozens of kilometers (miles) to the northeast of the city. "Rebels are headed for the palace and are about two blocks from here. The rebels are winning," the resident said in an email sent from the compound of a western embassy in N'Djamena, adding she could hear heavy weapons fire.

The French and U.S. embassies in the central African oil producing country were preparing their nationals there for evacuation.

France's diplomatic mission instructed its citizens to assemble at three designated sites in the capital. France on Friday reinforced its military contingent stationed in Chad. The U.S. embassy asked those American nationals who wanted to be evacuated to come to the embassy immediately.

Chad says the rebels, who advanced rapidly this week across the country from the eastern border with Sudan's war-torn Darfur region, are armed and backed by the Sudanese government. Khartoum routinely denies such accusations.