CHAD CHRONICLE: SEPT 29 - OCT 3, 2008

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NDJAMENA 000451 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 PHUM UN LY CT CD SUBJECT: CHAD CHRONICLE: SEPT 29 - OCT 3, 2008 -------------- ¶1. EDUCATION -------------- SCHOOLS RESUMED ON OCTOBER 01, 2008. HOWEVER, REGISTRATION IS VERY SLOW AND SOME CLASSROOMS ARE NOT READY FOR STUDENTS. REPORTEDLY MANY PARENTS FIND IT DIFFICULT TO PAY SCHOOL FEES FOR CHILDREN IN ADDITION TO BUYING UNIFORMS AND SCHOOL MATERIALS. A GROUP OF UNIVERSITY OF NDJAMENA STUDENTS DECLARED THAT THEY WILL MARCH IN THE CITY UNTIL THE GOVERNMENT PAYS OVERDUE SCHOLARSHIPS. IN RESPONSE, THE MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION, DR OUMAR IDRISS ALFAROUK, WARNED THE STUDENTS AGAINST DISTURBANCE OF ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES AT THE UNIVERSITY. THE MINISTER AFFIRMED THAT NO FORM OF ANARCHY WOULD BE ALLOWED. -------------- -------------- ¶2. JUSTICE -------------- -------------- --AN ASSOCIATION OF VICTIMS OF HISSEIN HABRE'S REGIME DISTRIBUTED A LIST NAMING THE SECURITY AGENTS WHO PERPETRATED TORTURE DURING HABRE'S REIGN. INITIAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE ASSOCIATION AND THE GOVERNMENT OF CHAD PROVIDED THAT NO ONE WHO ENGAGED IN ABUSES SHOULD REMAIN IN THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION. HOWEVER, SOME KEY MEMBERS OF THE HABRE ERA SECURITY SERVICES STILL HOLD INFLUENTIAL POSITIONS. -- THE NEWSPAPER L'OBSERVATEUR PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE CITING THE 2008 REPORT OF TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL. ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE, CHAD CONTINUES, FOR THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR, TO BE AMONG THE MOST CORRUPT NATIONS IN THE WORLD WHILE OTHER COUNTRIES SUCH AS NIGERIA HAVE GREATLY IMPROVED THEIR ECONOMIC SYSTEMS AND THEREFORE THEIR LISTINGS. -------------- -------------- ¶3. ECONOMY -------------- -------------- -- ACCORDING TO L'OBSERVATEUR, THE GLOBAL CRISIS, WHICH HAS CONSEQUENCES FOR EUROPEAN BANKS, WILL ALSO IMPACT ON THE ECONOMIES OF AFRICA. AFRICA TOO RISKS DISORGANIZATION AND A TIGHTER CREDIT CRUNCH. DESPITE THAT GLOOMY FORECAST, MR. ALEXANDRE GANDOU, PRESIDENT OF THE COMMISSION FOR THE CONTROL OF THE FINANCIAL MARKETS IN CENTRAL AFRICA (COSUMAF) NOTED THAT EVERYTHING IS IN PLACE FOR THE LAUNCHING OF NATIONAL STOCK MARKETS IN THE REGION. -- THE CHADIAN POST-OFFICE FACES DIFFICULT TIMES. AUTONOMOUS SINCE 1998, POSTAL EQUIPMENT IS OLD AND THE OFFICE IS NOT ABLE TO FINANCE NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION. -------------- -------------- ¶4. CULTURE: COPYRIGHT PROTECTION -------------- -------------- THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CHADIAN OFFICE FOR COPYRIGHT PROTECTION HELD ITS FIRST ORDINARY SESSION WITH THE OBJECTIVE TO EXPLORE BETTER SYSTEMS FOR THE PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT OF COPYRIGHTS IN ORDER TO PRESERVE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND STIMULATE CREATIVITY. -------------- -------------- ¶5. SOCIAL -------------- -------------- IN AN EFFORT TO FIGHT UNJUSTIFIED INFLATION OF PRICES, THE MINISTER OF COMMERCE VISITED MARKETS IN N'DJAMENA ON SEPTEMBER 29 AMONG OTHER THINGS TO VERIFY THAT THE RECENT GOVERNMENT LEVIED PRICE FOR CHARCOAL WAS BEING RESPECTED. THE GOVERNMENT SET THE PRICE AT 3,000 CFA PER BAG, BUT TRADERS WERE SELLING IT FOR MORE THAN 4,000 CFA TO THE PUBLIC. THE MINISTER WAS DISAPPOINTED. -------------- -------------- ¶6. RELIGION -------------- -------------- CHADIAN MUSLIMS CELEBRATED THE END OF RAMADAN ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2008. IN GENERAL, CELEBRATIONS WERE PEACEFUL BUT LE PROGRES NEWSPAPER REPORTED FIGHTING IN GOZ-BEIDA BETWEEN THE FOLLOWERS OF TWO IMAMS IN THAT TOWN. THE TWO IMAMS HAVE AN ONGOING DISPUTE OVER LEADERSHIP OF THE TOWN'S BIG MOSQUE. UNLIKE THE PREVIOUS YEARS, PRESIDENT DEBY CELEBRATED THE END OF RAMADAN IN AMDJARESS, HIS HOMETOWN. IN N'DJAMENA, THE PRESIDENT WAS REPRESENTED AT THE BIG PRAYER MEETING BY THE PRIME MINISTER, MR. YOUSSOUF SALEH ABBAS, WHO ALSO RECEIVED MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS AND ISLAMIC LEADERS WHO TRANSMITTED HOLIDAY GREETINGS TO THE PRESIDENT. NEWSPAPERS REPORTED THAT IN NDJAMENA 00000451 002 OF 002 MOST IDD PREACHINGS, KEY POINTS WERE PEACE IN THE COUNTRY AND AMONG THE PEOPLE OF CHAD. GRIBBIN