MGCD01: CHAD: FRENCH SUPPORT TO RESUME OPERATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L PARIS 000247

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2018
TAGS: MARR ASEC CD FR
SUBJECT: MGCD01: CHAD: FRENCH SUPPORT TO RESUME OPERATION
OF U.S. CHANCERY

REF: STATE 13651

Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt,
1.4 (b/d).


1. (C) Embassy Pol Counselor delivered reftel demarche on
February 8 and followed with verbal clarifications that day
and over the weekend of February 9-10. MFA Chad desk officer
Loic Mizon on February 12 provided a formal response to
acting Africa-watcher concerning assistance requested of
France to support the resumption of operations at the Embassy
NDjamena Chancery. Mizon said that the USG request and
similar issues involving other foreign missions had been
discussed at a GOF interagency meeting on February 11.


2. (C) Mizon said that the positive development of the
situation in Chad had rendered some of the points at issue
moot or OBE. He noted the arrival in NDjamena on February
12 of a USG EOD team, which in the GOF view made French
assistance to the U.S. in that area unnecessary. He did
indicate that French EOD experts would be available to
consult with the USG team as necessary.


3. (C) Mizon said that the GOF would provide medical
evacuation assistance should the need for such assistance
arise. On the issue of the availability of a French Quick
Reaction Force in the event of an emergency, he advised that
USG elements present in NDjamena consult with French
military counterparts. Mizon repeated that the situation in
NDjamena had improved significantly since we presented our
demarche on February 8 and, while the situation remained
delicate, there appeared to be less need for emergency
contingency capabilities. He reiterated that the French on
the ground in NDjamena were completely amenable to
discussing with U.S. counterparts contingency planning as a
precautionary measure (preferably on a mil-mil basis or
pol-pol basis, depending on the issue) and to coordinate
efforts as both countries sought to return to some semblance
of normal operations.


4. (SBU) Mizon noted that Air France was planning a flight
to NDjamena from Paris later on February 12 and that, if the
situation continued to improve, was likely to return to its
normal pattern of service, although of course there could be
hiccups along the way. Mizon further informed us that the
MFA closed its Chad-related Task Force on February 11.


5. (C) In separate conversations on February 11 and 12,
Presidential AF-advisor Romain Serman said that the rebels
seemed to be in some disarray, although they continued to
present a risk. He said that the bulk of rebel forces
continued to drift away from NDjamena in a northeasterly
direction. He said that the French had obtained information
indicating that the rebel groups were in disagreement about
how next to proceed, with one wanting to return to the Sudan
border area, and one wanting to renew combat with the
government, an idea not favored by the other groups. Serman
noted that the rebels, instead of seizing control of the
government's main broadcast facility in NDjamena when they
first entered the city, destroyed it instead, which was not a
smart thing to do if one wanted to take control of a
government. Deby was able to use an alternate broadcast site
to rally his supporters and to demonstrate that he continued
to be in control.


Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm


STAPLETON