PRIME MINISTE MOUSSA FAKI REPLACE BY A SOUTHERNER

C O N F I D E N T I A L NDJAMENA 000164

SIPDIS


DEPARTMENT FOR INR, AF, AF/C, AF/SPG, PRM, USAID/OTI;
LONDON AND PARIS FO AFRICAWATCHERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/04/2014
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM CD
SUBJECT: PRIME MINISTE MOUSSA FAKI REPLACE BY A SOUTHERNER

REF: NJDAMNA 04 1933

Classified By: Political/Economic Oficer Kathleen FitzGibbon for reaso
ns 1.4 (b) an (d).


1. (C) Summary. The replacemet of Prime Minister Moussa
Faki was announced on February 3. Faki's departure had been
in the making for months. His replacement is southerner
Pascal Yoadimnadji, previously Minister of Agriculture, and a
long-time embassy contact. The Ministers of Finance,
Education, and Moralization and Ethics lost their positions
in a minor cabinet shake-up that followed Faki's dismissal.
Based on previous interactions, we expect Yoadimnadji to be
effective in advancing President Deby's interests. End
Summary.


2. (C) Prime Minister Moussa Faki's departure from the
Government was announced on February 3. As previously
reported, Faki's unceremonious ouster had been in the making
for months. (See reftel.) Embassy sources and local
newspapers are reporting that Faki spent all day on February
1 at the Presidency after Deby's return from Taiwan. Embassy
contacts within the Prime Minister's office told us that Faki
had tried to resign twice, the most recent attempt being
while Deby was in Taiwan. Faki's latest disagreements with
his uncle concerned the decree creating a committee on Libyan
investment in Chad (which Daoussa Deby is apparently heading)
and another decree that reorganized the Presidency and
doubled its staff size. Local newspapers say that the other
issues that may have contributed to Faki's replacement
include problems within the education, health, and oil
sectors. The Embassy's Political/Economic Assistant was at
the Primature when the Presidency called to tell Faki to be
out of his office within three hours on February 4. The
Government also hastily arranged a hand-over event and
published the new list of ministers in the newspaper.


3. (U) Three ministers lost their positions. Minister of
the Economy and Finance Ahmat Awad Sakine was replaced by his
deputy Ngueyam Djaibe. According to the IMF representative
in N'Djamena, Djaibe is a respected technocrat and previously
was a commercial banker in Congo-Brazzaville before he was
asked to come back to Chad and to become the deputy minister.
Mariam Ali, the Inspector General and Minister of Ethics was
replaced by a Movement of Patriotic Salvation insider, Haoua
Outman Djame. She is a member of the Electoral Commission.
Education Minister Ahmat Mahamat Bachir was replaced by
Mahamat Maouloud Izzadine, a teacher and secretary at the
National Assembly. Teachers have not been paid for at least
five months and are on strike. As a result, many schools
remain closed and the Government is under significant
pressure to resolve the situation.


4. (U) The new Minister of Agriculture (replacing
Yoadimnadji) is former Minister of Tourism Laoukein Medard.
The new Minister of Tourism is Oumar Kadjallami Boukar.
Kadjallami is a former general and former minister.

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BIO NOTE: PASCAL YOADIMNADJI
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5. (U) Newly appointed Prime Minister Pascal Yoadimnadji had
served as Minister of Agriculture since July 2004. Prior to
that, he was a member and then President of the
Constitutional Court (from 1999 to 2002). He also served as
President of the Independent National Electoral Commission
(CENI) from 1995 to 1996. He also served as Minister of
Environment and Water (1998-1999),Minister of Tourism
(1998),and Minister of Mines, Energy, and Petroleum (1997).
From 1977 to 1988, he held civil servant positions in the
Ministry of Finance. In his early political career, he
belonged to the Revolutionary Movement of the People (MRP)

and then the Chadian Alliance for Democracy (ATD) and now is
a member of the ruling MPS.


6. (U) He obtained degrees from the Technical and Commercial
School of N'Djamena, a diploma in administrative studies from
the University of Paris Pantheon-Sorbonne where he also
studied constitutional rights. He also has degrees in public
finance and international public administration.


7. (C) Yoadimnadji was born in Beboto, Doba in Logone
Oriental circa 1950. He was spurned by many southerners for
his role in the CENI that "legitimized" Deby. There were
rumors at the time that he had to leave his residence due to
harassment. Embassy officials who attended the weekly CENI
meetings, had regular contact with Yoadimnadji. Despite
differences with U.S. embassy officials during the election
period, Yoadimnadji appeared genuine in his appreciation for
U.S. assistance provide under the Democracy and Human Rights
Fund. The U.S. also provided assistance to the
Constitutional Court under Yaodimnadji. A long-time embassy
employee describes Yaodimnadji as effective and pragmatic.

- - - -
COMMENT
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8. (C) Deby's removal of Faki was expected and his
replacement by a southerner represents a return to the
traditional geopolitical arrangement of balancing the
northern presidency with a southern Prime Minister. This
cabinet change, however, will not stop N'Djamena's rumor
mill, which has been working overtime during the President's
overseas medical treatment. Complicating all attempts at
political analysis is the lack of information as to the
seriousness of the President's condition. On the one hand,
the majority of our contacts believe the President is
seriously ill, but on the other, no one seems to know his
prognosis. Meanwhile, concerns about the President's health
and succession issues could be dividing the members of the
Zaghawa over the best way to remain in power. Yoadimnadji's
appointment also does not put to rest rumors that the
President is grooming his son, Brahim, to replace Deby should
he depart the scene prematurely. Recently, Brahim has been
traveling with the Foreign Minister and with Deby. There
allegedly is stiff opposition within the family and military
over this possibility.


9. (C) Another often heard rumor is that of the precarious
position of the National Assembly President, who
constitutionally, would oversee elections should anything
happen to the President of the Republic. Now that a
southerner has been named Prime Minister, many believe the
President would like to see a trusted northerner become head
of the National Assembly. Faki had been mentioned as that
person, but given the circumstances of his dismissal, his
future is unclear. Deby would have to wait until the end of
the National Assembly President's four-year term to push for
a replacement. However, many of our contacts within the
National Assembly are suspicious that there may be
maneuvering behind-the-scenes to engineer a change in their
command. Stay tuned.


10. (U) Khartoum and Tripoli Minimize Considered.
WALL


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