CHAD: PRESIDENT DEBY ON UNFORCE ND DIALOGUE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NDJAMENA 000457

SIPDIS

SNSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL HUM CD SU
SUBJECT: CHAD: PRESIDENT DEBY ON UNFORCE ND DIALOGUE


1. Summary: President Deb, in a meeting with the
Ambassador June 4, welcoed the announcement by the United
States of additonal sanctions on Sudan. He continuedto
resist the idea of an international force in Chad. Money for
such an expensive project, he said, would be better spent
moving refugee camps further from the border. No lasting
progress on Sudanese-Chadian relations or humanitarian issues
would occur without a reinvigorated Darfur peace process.
Deby repeated his request for C-130s. On the internal front,
he said he would not accept a delay of legislative elections
beyond the end of 2007. End Summary.


2. The Ambassador had a much-delayed meeting with President
Idriss Deby Itno June 4 to cover an issue reported
separately. National Security Agency Director General
Ishmael Chaibo and Minister of State for Infrastructure Adoum
Younousmi attended; poloff was notetaker.

Help in the East
--------------


3. The Ambassador said that he had just returned from a trip
to eastern Chad with Senator Nelson and he was pleased to see
that security in the refugee camps and along the border
seemed to be improving. Deby said that all of Chad's
problems were coming from Darfur. The situation in eastern
Chad was calm at present but Chad needed greater means to
cope in the longer term. He did not exclude the possibility
that serious "jolts" could be expected from Darfur. The
Ambassador asked if the present calm could be attributed to
his efforts to heal relations with Sudan. Deby acknowledged
progress in that domain.


4. Deby repeated a request, made earlier in the year, for
C-130s. The Ambassador said that a technical expert had
visited Chad recently and reviewed this request. The
Ambassador expected that a team would arrive in the coming
weeks to do a further review, and he expected to have a
response soon.

International Force
--------------


5. The Ambassador asked Deby's current thinking on an
international force on the border. Deby remained adamantly
negative. He said that such a force would not address the
Darfur crisis. It would be ineffective and hugely expensive,
given the length of the border. Removing the refugee camps
further inside Chad would cost less and address the stated
goals of protecting refugees and humanitarian workers. In
the absence of an effective Darfur peace process and
international force on the ground in Darfur, there would be
no lasting resolution of insecurity in Chad.


6. Deby applauded the United States' recent announcement of
further sanctions against Sudan. Such concrete dissuasive
actions against Sudan were necessary to stimulate the peace
process. Deby regretted that the peace process had lain
dormant since the Abuja effort for more than a year. He said
that the new French foreign minister's concept of a
humanitarian corridor might not adequately take into account
the immensity and compexity of Darfur. He regretted that the
crisis was also affecting the Central African Republic, with
10,000 refugees coming into Chad from CAR in recent days, due
to attacks on CAR from Sudan.

Internal
--------------


7. The Ambassador said that he was pleased that there
appeared to be an ongoing internal political dialogue in Chad
and some forward movement on electoral reform. Deby
acknowledged the utility of dialogue but he said that the
opposition parties were too demanding. In particular, they
insisted on a census and further delay in holding the
legislative elections until that census was accomplished.
Minister of State Younousmi pointed out that a census would
take at least two years, probably meaning further electoral
delay of three years. Deby said that he would not accept
delay of legislative elections beyond the end of 2007. He
claimed that his government had taken the necessary steps for
full transparency.


8. Comment: President Deby, just returned from another trip
to Tripoli, had not softened his views opposing a UN force in
Chad, expressed in his meeting with the Deputy Secretary in
April. On the other hand, he used this exchange to
underscore his support for more pressure on Khartoum,
including the announcement of additional U.S. sanctions. He
is still looking for an answer on the C-130 sale. On his
domestic front, his refusal to accept another postponement in
the legislative and local elections will once again put him

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at odds with many in the political opposition.
WALL