Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08FESTTWO12
2008-02-22 18:05:00
CONFIDENTIAL
US Delegation FEST TWO
Cable title:  

NDJAMENA 006: EU PRESSURES CHAD ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND

Tags:  PREL PREF PGOV PHUM SU CD 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 FEST TWO 000012 

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PARIS AND LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS, AMCONSUL CAPETOWN FOR DAS SWAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/22/2018
TAGS: PREL PREF PGOV PHUM SU CD
SUBJECT: NDJAMENA 006: EU PRESSURES CHAD ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND
POLITICAL ISSUES

FEST TWO 00000012 001.2 OF 002


CLASSIFIED BY: LucyTamlyn, Deputy Chief of Mission , U.S.
Embassy N'Djamena , State Department .
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 FEST TWO 000012

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PARIS AND LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS, AMCONSUL CAPETOWN FOR DAS SWAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/22/2018
TAGS: PREL PREF PGOV PHUM SU CD
SUBJECT: NDJAMENA 006: EU PRESSURES CHAD ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND
POLITICAL ISSUES

FEST TWO 00000012 001.2 OF 002


CLASSIFIED BY: LucyTamlyn, Deputy Chief of Mission , U.S.
Embassy N'Djamena , State Department .
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)

1. (SBU) Summary. As a result of EU and French pressure
(linked with the expected upcoming visit of French President
Sarkozy, possibly accompanied by an EC official),the Government
of Chad has publically agreed to set up a Commission of Inquiry
to investigate the disappearances of political leaders Yorongar
and Ibni Oumar. The Government has also declared itself ready to
relaunch the implementation of the political agreement signed on
August 13, 2007 with the political opposition. End Summary.


2. (U) The Ambassador met with EU Ambassador Gilles
Desesquelles February 22 to discuss the fate of political
opposition leaders, the prospects for resumption of the
implementation of the August 13, 2007 agreement with the
political opposition, and the EU Mission's security posture.

EU RESPONSE TO MISSING POLITICAL LEADERS AND STATE OF EMERGENCY
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3.(C) Ambassador Desesquelles reported that he had met with
President Deby February 19 to raise concerns about the State of
Emergency and to ask about the fate of the detained or missing
political leaders. (Note: EU Commissioner Luis Michel issued a
press release February 11 expressing concern about the arrest of
opposition representatives in Chad. End note.) Desesquelles
urged the President to limit the State of Emergency to no more
than a month and expressed particular concern about curtailment
of freedom of expression. Granted a meeting with detained
political leader Lol Mahamat Choa the next evening (to which he
was accompanied by Minister of Interior Bechir and Presidential
Counselor for International Relations Youssef Saleh Abbas),he
reported finding the former President in good health and in a
much improved setting (when the French Ambassador had seen him

he was in a location without access to water or sanitation and
was haggard and unshaven). Desesquelles had asked of Choa:
"you are accused of having a meeting with rebel leader Mahamat
Nouri, do you acknowledge this information?" Choa replied that
this was not true, that he was a man of peace who only advocated
peaceful means of political change and respect for the
constitution. Desesquelles asked further, "is this arrest
arbitrary" to which Choa responded "yes." Desesquelles related
that this exchange clearly irritated Minister Bechir.

5.(C) Concerning the two missing political leaders, Ibni Oumar
and Yorongar, Desesquelles reported that the French Ambassador
believed that Yorongar was in hiding in southern Chad. As far
as Ibni Oumar, Desesquelles' personal opinion was that he had
been taken and probably roughed up; the government might be
waiting for him to be "presentable" before releasing. He
reiterated that this was only his hunch -- he had no
confirmation that this was in fact true.


6. (C) Desesquelles noted that the EU had been first off of the
block to condemn the rebel attack (February 1) and to accuse
Sudan of supporting the movement. Desesquelles confided that the
French had been a bit "fuzzier" on the events. They appeared to
have been sitting on the fence on Feb 1-2 to see who might be
the victor (after having asked President Deby on February 1 if
he wished assistance in leaving the country.). Desesquelles
noted that the French Defense Minister's statement of February 2
that N'Djamena was in the hands of the rebels was quite
different from the interview with French radio which
Desesquelles had given that day in which he stated that,
although the situation on the ground was quite confused, the
Presidential Palace and the airfield were still in the hands of
the government.

FRANCE AND EU SET PRECONDITIONS TO HIGH LEVEL VISITS


7. (C) Ambassador Desesquelles informed the Ambassador that a
"high ranking EC representative might accompany French President
Sarkozy in his upcoming visit to Chad (not confirmed, but
possibly on Wednesday February 27.) He stated that both the EC
and the French had insisted that as a precondition to this visit
that the Government of Chad relaunch the political reform
process and set up a Commission of Inquiry to look into the
disappearances of political opposition leaders. The Government

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had accordingly released a statement on February 20 stating that
the GOC undertook to put in place a Commission of Inquiry which
would be open to the international community. The statement
also stated the government's willingness to pursue the
implementation of the political agreement of August 13, 2007.
Desesquelles stressed that the Commission of Inquiry would
ideally have representatives of the international community,
such as the International Red Cross, or the office of the UN
High Commissioner for Human Rights. Ambassador Nigro queried
whether there were concrete steps that had been agreed that
would show that movement was happening on these goals.
Desesquelles said that there were not, and acknowledged that one
of his challenges would be to bring the remaining CPDC members
back to the negotiating table.

EUFOR PROGRESS AND MINURCAT BLOCKAGE


8. (SBU) Ambassador Desesquelles reported that the lack of
agreement on compensation for Chadian gendarmes and police
working with MINURCAT (the GOC is insisting that these be paid
at expatriate rates) was a serious problem. Full EUFOR
deployment required MINURCAT deployment. He noted that UN Under
Secretary Guehenno and EC Commissioner Luis Michel had both

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raised this with the President, with no success. In the
meantime, EUFOR advance deployment itself was moving along
rapidly. During a recent visit to Abeche he witnessed the
arrival of Portuguese and Polish troops. Some 550 forces were
now deployed, and great progress was being made. He candidly
remarked that this was the first time that European forces were
operating on an intervention mission under the Common Defense
Policy and it was imperative that the mission succeed.
Ambassador Desesquelles also mentioned that he had raised with
French Foreign Affairs Adviser Chevalier (currently visiting
Chad) the idea of having another conference for countries in the
region to discuss regional stability issues.

EU MISSION SECURITY POSTURE


9. (SBU) Ambassador Desesquelles commented that President Deby
may believe that he is stronger as a result of the recent
victory, but in fact his situation is more fragile. Desesquelles
was aware of concerns of another rebel attack. Following the
lead of the French Embassy, family members of the EU Mission
have departed country. In theory they will be allowed back in
on March 10 (date of re-opening of the French school). They
may return before that, but will not be provided assistance in
the event of an evacuation. Desesquelles noted that the March
10 date was of course subject to the security situation
prevailing at the time.

COMMENT
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10. (SBU) The high ranking EC official is most likely Louis
Michel, EC Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Affairs.
NIGRO