CHAD 11/30 UPDATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L NDJAMENA 001381

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS. EUCOM FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/30/2016
TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF CD
SUBJECT: CHAD 11/30 UPDATE

REF: A. N'DJAMENA 1371


B. N'DJAMENA 1368

Classified By: Poloff John O'Leary. Reasons 1.4(b) & (d)


1. (C) Summary. The Government of Chad remains jumpy about
rumors of rebel activities. It appears that rebel forces
have not withdrawn to Sudan. At a convocation of ambassadors
on 11/28, Chad's Foreign Minister issued a statement about
the state of war that exists between Chad and Sudan.
President Deby met visiting French Prime Minister Villepin
11/30 and announced Chad's agreement in principle to
international peacekeeping forces on the Chad-Sudan border.
End Summary.


2. (C) On the military front, the situation in eastern Chad
has stabilized. The Chadian army holds Abeche (13,49 N;
20,49 E) and Biltine (14,32 N; 20,55 E),but rebel forces
remain in areas northeast and east of Abeche, not having
retreated to Sudan as they previously have done. Rumors,
however, abound. One rumor today, 11/30, said that rebels
had retaken Abeche; but, according to the BBC Rep in Chad,
Mahamat Nouri's Union of Forces for Democracy and Development
(UFDD) merely threatened to test "new weapons" on Abeche. As
of 1700 hours, they had not tested new weapons on Abeche.
Another rumor has the UFDD fighting against Timan Erdimi's
RaFD/SCUD rebels in the vicinity of Biltine; but we have no
confirmation of any such clash.


3. (C) The Chadian government has threatened to PNG the
country director of the World Food Program (WFP),as well as
his the Abeche director. Apparently, the GOC blamed the base
camp manager for sending out a message that Adre (13,28 N;
22,12 E) had fallen to rebels. The accusation was brought up
at a Council of Ministers meeting, and President Deby
reportedly was extremely angry at WFP. WFP denies that the
base manager made any such statement. According to WFP, a
subsequent investigation determined that a disgruntled local
radio operator may have been the source of the rumor. The
director and his manager have one week to leave Chad unless
the UN Resident Representative is able to overturn the
decision. The new French Ambassador reportedly also drew the
wrath of the Presidency for having circulated last Sunday a
French warden message advising that rebels might be in
N'Djamena within 24 hours.


4. (U) The WFP country director told us that the 483 tons
of food looted from the WFP warehouse in Abeche were for a
school feeding program. Consequently, the loss of the food
will not affect WFP's refugee food distribution program.


5. (U) At a meeting with the Diplomatic Corps yesterday,
11/29, Foreign Minister Allam-Mi explained that what Chad
sees as continued aggression by Sudan through its surrogates
has placed Chad in a virtual state of war with Sudan.
Allam-Mi took pains to clarify that Chad was not declaring
war on Sudan, but war existed nonetheless. The Foreign
Minister recited the long history of Chadian-Sudanese
interaction over the border and Darfur. The Foreign Minister
asked the international community to support Chad in the
"legitimate defense" of its territory He reiterated charges
that Saudi Arabia is also aiding the Chadian rebels in order
to impose a fundamentalist regime sympathetic to al-Qa'ida.
He urged the UNHCR and the international community to move
the refugee camps away from the border, both to protect the
refugees from Sudanese hostility and to deflect charges that
the camps are used as rear bases for Sudanese rebels.


6. (U) Chadian President Deby met French Prime Minister
Villepin this afternoon and announced after the meeting that
Chad accepts in principle the United Nations proposal to
station peacekeepers on its side of the border with Sudan.
According to reports, Deby said that Chad would consult with
the African Union and the UN about the size and composition
of the force, as well as its mandate. It is not clear,
however, whether or not Deby will accept "Blue Hats".
WALL