CHAD/USA SIGN AGREEMENT ON ESTABLISHMENT OF

UNCLAS NDJAMENA 000204 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR L/TREATY OFFICE AND A/OPR/OS OFFICE OF OVERSEAS SCHOOLS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASCH PREL CD SUBJECT: CHAD/USA SIGN AGREEMENT ON ESTABLISHMENT OF AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL ¶1. On March 5, the Ambassador signed an agreement with the Government of Chad on the establishment of the American International School of N'djamena. The Secretary of State for International Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Djidda Moussa Outman, signed for the Government of Chad. The highlights of the agreement are: -- recognition of the school's legal personality and ability to conduct transactions, including buying property; -- authorization to pay non-resident teachers in U.S. dollars; -- waiver of local social security payments for non-resident teachers; -- authorization to import didactic materials duty-free; -- authorization for duty-free entry of household goods and vehicle for overseas hires. ¶2. The Treaty will enter into force when both parties have notified the other by diplomatic channels of their fulfillment of the domestic requirements for the treaty to enter into force. The United States provided this notification to the Government of Chad on March 6 via diplomatic note. ¶3. In his statement to the assembled dignitaries (including the Minister of Education) and press at the signing, the Ambassador underscored the role that the school will play in reinforcing Chadian and American ties and providing an important contribution to the growing demand for English language instruction in Chad. ¶4. The American International School of N'djamena has closed and reopened over the last two decades, reflecting an unstable security situation and a small expatriate community. It offers instruction from pre-school through 8th grade and correspondence courses for high school students. The school is currently located on the Embassy residential compound. After reaching a high of 50 students in 2005/6, the school now has 18 students (currently there are no USG dependents). The decision of the United Nations in November 2006 to go to a non-family duty station status hurt the school's enrollment, as has the fact that oil consortium employees are now for the most part coming to N'djamena unaccompanied. The school's current Director departed in January 2007 and the Board is currently seeking an interim Director for the 2007/2008 period to guide the school through what we hope will be a more stable political and security environment and keep the school on track for eventual accreditation. Signing the bilateral agreement is an important step towards regularizing the status of the school and -- when the time comes -- allowing it to grow to a stature consistent with other American schools in the region. WALL