GOC OFFICIAL SAYS BE PATIENT ON GODBOLD CASE

UNCLAS NDJAMENA 000832 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS RABAT FOR LEGATT, PARIS AND LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS, FOR CA/OCS AND AF/C E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER CASC CD LY SUBJECT: GOC OFFICIAL SAYS BE PATIENT ON GODBOLD CASE REF: NDJAMENA 825 ¶1. (SBU) CDA met with the Secretary of State for the Interior Djasnabaille on October 25 to discuss the situation of seized Amcit Cash Steve Godbold. Djasnabaille said that the Government of Chad (GOC) strongly condemned the act. He said that they were in touch with Tubu "notables" from Bardai who were discussing the situation with the MDJT group holding Godbold. He felt that these discussions would eventually find a solution and that some patience was necessary. He agreed that military action was not appropriate. ¶2. (SBU) Djasnabaille said that his understanding of the situation (based on a conversation with the Governor of the Bourkou-Enedi-Tibesti region) was that the MDJT faction in Zoumri had seized Godbold in order to effect a "hostage exchange" with their leader, Choa Dazi, who is in Libya. Dazi, according to Djasnabaille, is under close surveillance; the Libyans are not holding him prisoner, but they do not want him to return to the Tibesti region. The MDJT in Zoumri may have hoped that they could exchange Dazi for Godbold. ¶3. (SBU) Djasnabaille explained that Dazi, seeing the GOC brokering peace with other rebel movements, wanted himself to come back on favorable terms. Djasnabaille said that once Godbold was released, the Government of Chad intended to turn its attention to Dazi's situation and deal with that. ¶4. (SBU) Djasnabaille said that the Libyan government has been informed by the GOC of the situation, but that was the extent of the contact; no assistance had been requested. CDA asked if the GOC had been in direct contact with Dazi. Djasnabaille affirmed that contact had only been second-hand. ¶5. (U) In another development Reuters quoted Choa Dazi as saying that "our group took him to find out why he had come..in two or three days we will conclude and then we'll see what preparations we can make to free him." COMMENT: ¶6. (SBU) The Government of Chad is in the process of signing peace agreements with a number of rebel/exile factions, therefore it is not unlikely that they would be able to turn the same means of persuasion to Dazi if he is interested and they are so inclined. For the time being, Post believes that the best course of action is to monitor the progress of discussions between the Tubu community and the MDJT to see if they will indeed bear fruit. CDA shared Djasnabaille's recommendation with Godbold's TEAM leader (Carl Hodges) and he was in agreement that letting the discussions continue was the best course of action. Godbold's N'djamena associates are in fact feeling hopeful that Dazi's comments to Reuters portend Godbold's imminent release. ¶7. (U) Tripoli minimize considered. TAMLYN