FRENCH CDA ON CHAD-SUDAN BORDER ISSUES

UNCLAS NDJAMENA 000334 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF MOPS MARR SU LY FR CD SUBJECT: FRENCH CDA ON CHAD-SUDAN BORDER ISSUES REF: (A) STATE 80741, (B) NDJAMENA 304 ¶1. (SBU) AMBASSADOR MET WITH FRENCH CHARGE ERWAN DE GOUVELLO AND SECOND COUNSELOR FOR POLMIL AFFAIRS JEROME THEUERKAUFF ON AUGUST 6. ¶2. (SBU) THE KEY POINTS OF OUR DISCUSSION WERE: -- THE FRENCH WERE SKEPTICAL OF RECENT SUDAN GOVERNMENT ACCUSATIONS OF LARGE-SCALE INCURSIONS INTO SUDAN BY CHADIAN ARMY UNITS NORTH OF EL GENEINA. -- THE FRENCH DESCRIBED CURRENT CHADIAN DEFENSIVE TACTICS ALONG THE BORDER WITH SUDAN AS FAIRLY SOPHISTICATED. -- MIXED UNITS COMPOSED OF GENDARMES AND "NOMAD GUARDS" (A CHADIAN MILITARY SERVICE ADAPTED TO DESERT OPERATIONS) PATROLLED THE BORDER NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE EL GENEINA-ABECHE AXIS, WHILE CHADIAN NATIONAL ARMY (ANT) UNITS REMAINED IN FIXED POSITIONS AND ABLE TO SERVE AS MANEUVER FORCES IN CASE OF THREAT FROM SUDAN. -- THE FRENCH SAID THERE WAS ALWAYS THE CHANCE THAT CHAD MILITARY PATROLLING ALONG THE VAGUE AND UNMARKED BORDER COULD STRAY ACROSS IT AND THERE WAS AS WELL THE POSSIBILITY OF "FREE-LANCE" RAIDING ACROSS THE BORDER BY UNDER-EMPLOYED AND UNDER-DISCIPLINED CHADIAN TROOPS. -- THE FRENCH DID NOT DISCOUNT THAT THE SUDANESE CHARGES WERE LINKED TO SOME KIND OF REBEL- OR BANDIT-RELATED ACTIVITY AND ADDED THAT SUDANESE CHARGES THAT THE CHAD MILITARY TOOK PRISONERS OR HOSTAGES VERY QUESTIONABLE, BECAUSE THEY DID NOT FIT PREVIOUS PATTERNS OF CHAD BEHAVIOR. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶3. (SBU) THE FRENCH ARE CERTAINLY IN A POSITION TO KNOW HOW MUCH TRUTH THE SUDANESE ACCUSATIONS CONTAIN. WHETHER THEY WERE TELLING US THE ULTIMATE TRUTH AS THEY SAW IT OR WERE GOING TO THEIR DEFAULT POSITION OF DEFENDING THE GOC WHENEVER POSSIBLE (AND CREDIBLE) IS ANOTHER MATTER. NIGRO