DEBY'S TONE MORE CONCILIATORY TOWARD SUDAN AND

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NDJAMENA 000583 SENSITIVE SIPDIS LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PHUM MARR PINR EAID UN SU CD SUBJECT: DEBY'S TONE MORE CONCILIATORY TOWARD SUDAN AND REBELS AT MILITARY PARADE REF: A. NDJAMENA 573 ¶B. NDJAMENA 547 NDJAMENA 00000583 001.4 OF 002 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: President Deby's December 10th speech marking Freedom and Democracy Day contained a more conciliatory tone toward the Government of Sudan and Chadian rebels than previously, even as he presided over a massive demonstration of the GOC's ongoing military rearmament campaign. Deby's repeated commitment to detente with Sudan and the olive branch he extended to the rebels, plus his remarks in support of the electoral reform process and scheduled 2009 legislative elections, as well as his public recognition of the importance of progress in Chad's agricultural and livestock sectors and basic infrastructure to Chad's economy, were welcome. END SUMMARY. -------------- -------------- SOFTER TONE TOWARDS OPPONENTS AND LESS FOCUS ON SUDAN -------------- -------------- ¶2. (U) President Idriss Deby celebrated his 18th anniversary in power with a major Freedom and Democracy Day celebration on December 10th that featured an impressive display of Chad's weaponry, large quantities of champagne, dancing, fireworks, and a speech notable for its relatively conciliatory tone toward Sudan and the Chadian rebels and its focus on issues other than security. Although Deby referred to the February 2008 attack on N'Djamena and the need for better military equipment to prevent future attacks, he emphasized his commitment to the two agreements intended to bring peace and stability to Chad: the August 13th (2007) Accord with opposition parties and the Syrte Accord (October 25, 2007) with Chadian rebels. As he has in past speeches, he referred to the Chadian rebels as mercenaries paid by Sudan. However, in a noteworthy departure from past speeches, he appealed to them to forsake their guns so that Chad's resources could be devoted instead to development, and called on traditional and religious leaders to prevent and resolve conflicts. ¶3. (U) Sudan and its aggression against Chad, which have dominated other recent Deby speeches, featured a lot less prominently in this one. Deby devoted most of his May 2008 discourse to Sudan's aggression against Chad, Bashir's intention to destroy Chad, and Deby's own commitment to take whatever measures might be necessary to thwart Sudan's hostile actions, In contrast, in his latest speech, Deby stated "Chad has no intention whatsoever to conquer or attack a neighboring country," and asserted that Chad is pursuing peaceful diplomacy based on "consultation, dialogue, and a permanent search for compromise." -------------- -------------- EMPHASIS ON CHAD'S ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT -------------- -------------- ¶4. (U) Deby also spoke more expansively about Chad's development than he has in the past. In his December 31, 2007 speech, he merely referred (albeit several times) to the GOC's development program; his current discourse elaborated on this. He promised to tackle corruption He noted the need for basic infrastructure, which he said Chad would fund either from its own resources or with assistance from its development partners. He touted N'Djamena's oil refinery (currently under construction) and related activities as steps toward Chad's economic independence, and asserted that Chad's oil income has essentially financed Chad's growth and fight against poverty. However, he went on to say that the country must not forget its "key" agricultural and livestock sectors. Deby signalled the need to invest in these sectors in order to modernize them and thus guarantee Chad's food security. Finally, the President appealed to the Chadian diaspora to return to Chad and join the fight against poverty. ¶5. (U) Deby also took this opportunity to note that the recent adoption of election-related laws had set the country on course to hold parliamentary elections soon (Ref A). ¶6. (SBU) Deby's repeated commitment to detente with Sudan and the olive branch he extended to the rebels, plus his remarks in support of the electoral reform process and scheduled 2009 legislative elections, as well as his public recognition of the importance of progress in Chad's agricultural and livestock sectors and basic infrastructure to Chad's economy, were welcome. NDJAMENA 00000583 002.2 OF 002 ¶7. (U) Tripoli Minimize considered. NIGRO