FACTBOX: Chad's rebellion

(Reuters) - Rebels entered the Chadian capital N'Djamena on Saturday, according to a foreign resident in the city. The French and U.S. embassies were preparing to evacuate their citizens.

Following are details of the rebellion against President Idriss Deby, who seized power in 1990 with his own uprising launched from his native eastern Chad:

HOSTILITIES

** Chad and Sudan, both oil exporters, trade accusations of hosting rebel groups to undermine the other, though each denies it. Deals brokered mainly by Libya have failed to end the enmity.

** Dissent over Deby's handling of the dispute led to large-scale army desertions in 2004 and 2005, prompting him to dissolve his presidential guard and form a new elite force.

** A border attack by deserters in December 2005 signaled an escalation in the rebellion, with an increase in attacks on towns and government forces, mainly in eastern Chad.

** In April 2006, rebels surged right across Chad to reach N'Djamena in the west. Government forces repelled the attack, but hundreds of people are estimated to have been killed.

** Hostilities have ebbed and flowed since. Military campaigns in Chad and Sudan tend to grind to a halt when summer rains fill up dry river beds, cutting off large areas of territory until the water subsides.

** Last year, hundreds were killed in fierce battles between rebels and government in eastern Chad.