Washington - The United States Saturday condemned the attempt by rebels to seize power in Chad in central Africa, saying the armed movement had come "from outside the country to seize power."In a statement by State Department spokesman Sean McCormack, the US joined the African Union (AU) in condemning the attack.
"We call for calm in the capital and support the AUs call for an immediate end to armed attacks and to refrain from violence that might harm innocent civilians," McCormack said.
The situation in the capital, Ndjamena, was unclear. There were reports that rebels were near the presidential palace.
The US urged US citizens to leave Chad, and said it had authorized the departure of all of its non-emergency personnel from the country.
France also began evacuating its citizens late Saturday to Libreville, the capital of Gabon in West Africa.
