CHAD CHRONICLE: AUGUST 2008

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 NDJAMENA 000381 SIPDIS PARIS AND LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS, STATE FOR AF, AF/C, AF/EPS, AND AF/RSA ADDIS ALSO FOR AU E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF ECON EFIN IBRD PHUM UN LY CD SUBJECT: CHAD CHRONICLE: AUGUST 2008 -------------- -------------- PRESIDENT DEBY GETS INVESTIGATIVE COMMISSION REPORT -------------- -------------- ¶1. INVESTIGATION INTO THE JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2008 EVENTS: PRESIDENT DEBY SAYS HE WILL "FOLLOW UP" RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE REPORT. THE COMMISSION INVESTIGATING THE EVENTS OF JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2008 SUBMITTED ITS REPORT TO PRESIDENT DEBY ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 5. IN RECEIVING THE REPORT, PRESIDENT DEBY DECLARED THAT HE WILL STRICTLY FOLLOW THE RECOMMENDATIONS CONTAINED IN THE DOCUMENT, AND THAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL "CAREFULLY FOLLOW IT UP." NO INDICATION WAS GIVEN AS TO THE DATE WHEN THE 160-PAGE REPORT WOULD BE RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC. IN RECEIVING THE REPORT, PRESIDENT DEBY TOLD THE HEAD OF THE COMMISSION, MR. ALLAISSEM DJAIBE, THAT THE GOC WOULD ESTABLISH A MINISTERIAL-LEVEL FOLLOW-UP COMMITTEE. (SEE PARA 11 BELOW.) -------------- - CHINESE FIND OIL DEPOSIT IN SOUTHWESTERN CHAD -------------- -- ¶2. HIGH-QUALITY OIL DEPOSIT DISCOVERED IN THE BONGOR AREA. THE MINISTER OF OIL, MR. MAHAMAT NASSER HASSANE, ANNOUNCED ON AUGUST 13 THAT A DEPOSIT OF HIGH-QUALITY PETROLEUM HAS BEEN DISCOVERED IN SOUTHWESTERN CHAD NEAR THE TOWN OF BONGOR BY THE CHINESE NATIONAL PETROLEUM COMPANY (CNPC). HE DECLARED THAT, ONCE EXPLOITED, THIS OIL WOULD BE REFINED AT A REFINERY TO BE LOCATED IN DJERMAYA ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF NDJAMENA IN ORDER TO SATISFY INTERNAL DEMAND. -------------- HIGH COURT CONDEMNS REBEL CHIEFS, HABRE -------------- ¶3. HIGH COURT CONDEMNS REBELS, EX-PRESIDENT HABRE IN ABSENTIA. (AUGUST 13-15): DURING ITS FIRST SESSION AUGUST 12-15, THE CRIMINAL COURT PRONOUNCED HARSH SENTENCES AGAINST CURRENT CHAD REBEL LEADERS AS WELL AS FORMER PRESIDENT HISSEIN HABRE. TWELVE REBEL LEADERS AND HABRE WERE SENTENCED TO DEATH IN ABSTENTIA. AMONG THOSE SENTENCED TO DEATH WERE MAJOR REBEL LEADERS MAHAMAT NOURI, TOM ERDIMI, TIMAN ERDIMI, AHMAT HASSABALLAH SOUBIANE, AND ABDOUL-WAHID ABOUD. LIFE SENTENCES WERE PRONOUNCED AGAINST FORTY-TWO OTHER REBELS. THE COURT ALSO ORDERED THE CONFISCATION OF THE PROPERTY OF THE CONDEMNED. IN REACTION TO RUMORS THAT THE SENTENCING OF HISSEIN HABRE BY THE CHADIAN CRIMINAL COURT WOULD PUT AN END TO HIS TRIAL PROCESS UNDERWAY IN SENEGAL, THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE, JEAN ALINGUE BAWOYEU DECLARED ON AUGUST 15 THAT THE NDJAMENA CRIMINAL COURT'S DECISION DOES NOT AFFECT THE TRIAL PROCESS IN SENEGAL. HE EXPLAINED THAT HISSEIN HABRE WAS CONVICTED IN CHAD FOR HIS SUPPORT TO THE CHADIAN REBELS, WHILE HIS TRIAL IN SENEGAL IS RELATED TO "CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY AND OTHER ATROCITIES." -------------- NON-RESIDENT AMBASSADORS PRESENT CREDENTIALS -------------- - ¶4. EIGHT NON-RESIDENT AMBASSADORS PRESENT CREDENTIALS. ON AUGUST 15, AMBASSADORS FROM CANADA, JAPAN, AUSTRALIA, MALTA, GHANA, SPAIN, IRELAND, AND THE UNITED KINGDOM, PRESENTED THEIR CREDENTIAL LETTERS TO PRESIDENT DEBY. FIVE OF THE AMBASSADORS RESIDE IN YAOUNDE, CAMEROON, WHILE THE THREE OTHER HAVE THEIR RESIDENCES IN ABUJA, NIGERIA. -------------- MORE RFC REBELS RALLY TO GOC -------------- ¶5. ELEMENTS OF THE RFC REBEL GROUP AGREE TO END ARMED STRUGGLE. THE GOC ANNOUNCED AUGUST 18 THAT THE CHADIAN GOVERNEMENT AND ELEMENTS OF THE "RASSEMBLEMENT DES FORCES POUR LE CHANGEMENT" (RFC - RALLY OF FORCES FOR CHANGE),SIGNED A PROTOCOL AGREEMENT IN APPLICATION OF THE SIRTE ACCORD. THE AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED BY THE NATIONAL MEDIATOR REPRESENTING THE GOC AND THE RFC DEFENSE COMMISSIONER IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LIBYAN AMBASSADOR TO CHAD. THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT INCLUDE AN IMMEDIATE CEASE-FIRE AND ASSEMBLY OF THE RFC FIGHTERS TO BE FOLLOWED BY THEIR INTEGRATION INTO THE CHADIAN NATIONAL ARMY OR (FOR CIVILIANS) INTO THE CHADIAN CIVIL SERVICE. INTEGRATION IS TO OCCUR WITHIN TWO MONTHS FROM THE DATE OF THE SIGNING OF THE AGREEMENT. THE FIGHTERS WILL ASSEMBLE IN IRIBA, WHERE THEY WILL BE COUNTED. ONCE THEIR NUMBER IS KNOWN, THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY WILL INITIATE AN AMNESTY LAW FOR THOSE WHO HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN SANCTIONED BY THE GOVERNMENT. NDJAMENA 00000381 002 OF 003 -------------- GOC MICR-FINANCING PROJECT LAUNCHED -------------- ¶6. NATIONAL MICRO-FINANCE STRATEGY: AT LEAST 500,000 TO ACCESS LOANS BETWEEN NOW AND 2013. DURING THE OPENING CEREMONY OF A SEMINAR ON THE NATIONAL MICRO-FINANCE STRATEGY ON AUGUST 18, THE VICE-MINISTER FOR ECONOMY AND PLANNING, MS. AZIZA BAROUD ANNOUNCED THAT AT LEAST 500,000 LOW INCOME PEOPLE WILL HAVEACCESS TO MICRO-CREDITS BETWEEN NOW AND 2013. TE PLAN IS PART OF A GRAND POVERTY REDUCTION STRAEGY TO MAKE CREDIT AVAILABLE TO LOW INCOME CITIZNS WHO OTHERWISE DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO REGULAR BAN LENDING. -------------- FINANCE MINSTER FIRED -------------- ¶7. FINANCE MINISTER DISMISSED. ON AUGUST 19 PRESIDENT DEBY UNEXPECTEDLY FIRED MINISTER OF FINANCE, MR. ABAKAR MALLAH MOURTCHA. ACCORDING TO L'OBSERVATEUR, A LOCAL NEWSPAPER, THE MINISTER WAS ACCUSED TO SELLING STATE LETTERS OF CREDIT TO A LOCAL BANK WITH THE AIM OF PERSONAL PROFIT, THUS CAUSING DELAY OF PAYMENTS TO THE RECIPIENTS OF THOSE LETTERS OF CREDIT, MOST OF WHOM ARE RETIRED CIVIL SERVANTS AND OTHER NEEDY PERSONS. SUCH CORRUPTION, ACCORDING TO THE NEWSPAPER, IS CONTRARY TO THE PRESIDENT'S DECLARED SOCIAL MANDATE. -------------- INDIAN FIRMS INVEST IN CHAD -------------- ¶8. INDIAN COMPANIES TO INVEST IN THE CHADIAN AGRICULTURAL SECTOR. ON AUGUST 22 THE CHADIAN GOVERNMENT AND AN INDIAN COMPANY SIGNED TWO AGREEEMENTS TOTALING 10 MILLION US DOLLARS. ONE RELATES TO THE PRODUCTION OF FERTILIZERS, AND THE SECOND TO THE PROCESSING OF GRAIN INTO CEREAL AND FLOUR. -------------- WORLD BANK DELEGATION VISITS CHAD -------------- ¶9. A WORLD BANK DELEGATION LED BY ITS AFRICA REGION VICE PRESIDENT VISITED CHAD FROM AUGUST 23-25, 2008. ACCORDING TO A COMMUNIQUE DATED AUGUST 25 RELEASED BY THE MINISTRY OF ECONOMY AND PLANNING, THE VISIT ENABLED THE TWO PARTIES (GOC AND WB) TO CLEAR UP SEVERAL MISUNDERSTADINGS ABOUT PAST AGREEMENTS. THE COMMUNIQUE ADDED THAT FRANK TALKS HAVE ENABLED THE TWO PARTIES TO IRON OUT FINANCIAL LITIGATION STEMING FROM THE WORLD BANK'S PARTICIPATION IN THE CHADIAN OIL PROJECT, AND TO CONSIDER RE-LAUNCHING THEIR COOPERATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, INCLUDING THE RE-OPENING OF THE BANK'S REPRESENTATION IN CHAD. (THIS COULD JUST QUOTE THE COMMUNIQUE, INSTEAD OF BADLY SUMMARIZING ITS CONTENT.) -------------- EUFOR AIR ASSETS -------------- ¶10. EUFOR UTILIZING HELICOPTERS TO EXTEND ITS REACH, WORKING WITH LOCAL TRADITIONAL AUTHORITIES TO COUNTER BANDITRY. THE PEACE-KEEPING EUROPEAN MISSION (EUFOR) ANNOUNCED IN A PRESS RELEASE THAT IT NOW HAS ELEVEN HELICOPTERS THAT WILL ENABLE ITS FORCES TO BETTER SECURE THE CONFLICT ZONE IN SPITE OF THE RAINY SEASON THAT HAS MADE ROADS IN THE REGION DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE. ADDITIONALLY, THE EUFOR SPOKESMAN SAID THAT PATROLS HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH CHIEFS AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN ORDER TO REDUCE BANDITRY. EUFOR CONTRIBUTING COUNTRIES ARE: FRANCE, IRELAND, POLAND, SWEDEN, AUSTRIA, ROMANIA, ITALY, BELGIUM, SPAIN, ALBANIA, FINLAND, PORTUGAL, SLOVENIA, THE NETHERLANDS, AND THE UNITED KINGDOM. -------------- -------------- GOC NAMES COMMITTEE TO FOLLOW UP COMMISSION REPORT -------------- -------------- ¶11. GOC ANNOUNCES "FOLLOW UP" COMMITTEE TO IMPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS OF INVESTIGATIVE COMMISSION. THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED AUGUST 28 THAT A MINISTERIAL LEVEL TEAM HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED TO BE THE "COMITE DE SUIVI" (MONITORING COMMITTEE) FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INVESTIGATIVE COMMISSION INTO THE EVENTS SURROUNDING THE REBEL ATTACK ON THE CAPITAL IN FEBRUARY. THE MINISTERS OF DEFENSE, FOREIGN AFFAIRS, JUSTICE, NDJAMENA 00000381 003 OF 003 COMMUNICATION, INTERIOR, SOCIAL ACTION, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE CABINET CONSTITUTE THE COMITE. THE COMMISSION'S REPORT WAS BEING TRANSLATED INTO ARABIC AND WOULD BE PUBLISHED "SOON." NIGRO