Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09NDJAMENA341
2009-08-14 08:42:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ndjamena
Cable title:
DEBY OPINES ON CHADIAN SECURITY, REBELS, AND OIL REVENUE IN
how-toVZCZCXRO2388 PP RUEHBC RUEHBZ RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHKUK RUEHMA RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHROV RUEHTRO DE RUEHNJ #0341/01 2260842 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 140842Z AUG 09 FM AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7165 INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NDJAMENA 000341
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
STATE FOR AF/C AND S/USSES
LONDON FOR POL - LORD
PARIS FOR POL - KANEDA AND BAIN
ADDIS ABABA FOR AU
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF PHUM ECON EPET CD
SUBJECT: DEBY OPINES ON CHADIAN SECURITY, REBELS, AND OIL REVENUE IN
OPEN PRESS CONFERENCE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NDJAMENA 000341
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
STATE FOR AF/C AND S/USSES
LONDON FOR POL - LORD
PARIS FOR POL - KANEDA AND BAIN
ADDIS ABABA FOR AU
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF PHUM ECON EPET CD
SUBJECT: DEBY OPINES ON CHADIAN SECURITY, REBELS, AND OIL REVENUE IN
OPEN PRESS CONFERENCE
1. (SBU) President Deby, in an unexpected move, held an unusually
inclusive press conference August 11, which is Chadian Independence
Day. The Presidency invited all of Chad's journalists, including --
exceptionally -- reporters from independent media, to the event.
Deby spoke at length in response to questions taken at random. The
main points, as quoted on the Presidency website, follow.
--------------
FEBRUARY 2008 DISAPPEARANCE
OF OPPOSITION FIGURE
--------------
2. (U) President Deby urged reporters to let the case of the
February 2008 disappearance of opposition figure Ibni Oumar Mahamat
Saleh work its way through the Chadian court system. He said no
one, including him, should interfere with the judicial process but
that all should have confidence in the judges and the system itself.
Deby also publicly regretted that journalists tended to forget
other Chadians who had disappeared during the February 2008 rebel
attack. "On February 1, 2, and 3," he said, "we lost more than 700
Chadians. They are all important in my eyes, as head of state."
--------------
REBELLION AS A BUSINESS
--------------
3. (U) President Deby said that he agreed with the perception that
being a rebel was a "business" in Chad, but claimed that this was
the result of Chad's complex history. He declared, however, that
"bonuses" to rebels were over. "Rebellion has become nowadays the
easiest way to welfare, and unfortunately this idea has been
inculcated in certain groups of exploited youth," he said. (NOTE:
Deby, last week on a visit to Faya-Largeau, had chided civil
servants and community leaders in Chad's northern regions, accusing
them of encouraging young men to join the rebellion by not providing
education, jobs and other activities. END NOTE.)
--------------
GOC DOES ITS BEST FOR SECURITY
--------------
4. (U) The President stated that the government was doing its best
with regards to security, but invited comparison of Chad's situation
with that of other countries, noting that there "zero insecurity"
does not exist even in powerful countries like the U.S. He added
that more than "700 gendarmes have been trained and will be deployed
throughout the territory" while admitting that "this is not enough,
but these efforts will continue because we aim for a far more
efficient structure, as the security of fellow citizens is our
priority." Deby claimed that the inter-ministerial Arms Control
Commission had already collected some 10,000 illegal firearms.
Regarding eastern Chad, President Deby said that "measures are being
taken to prevent the incursion of 'djanjawid' and other bandits"
into Chad.
--------------
OIL IS NOT THE ANSWER
--------------
5. (U) President Deby urged Chadians to stop thinking of Chad as
an oil-rich country. Deby stated that, "Chad does not produce as
much oil as other countries." The President explained that oil
production had increased but oil prices had dropped, but that Chad
had achieved many developments due to oil revenue.
--------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
--------------
6. (U) The President told journalists that "the protection of the
environment is at the heart of our fight, and that it should also be
at the heart of the population's concerns." He further stated that
"one third of the territory is desert and that desertification is
making huge inroads" and that "one cannot talk about sustainable
development without the protection of our ecosystem."
--------------
COMMENT
--------------
7. (SBU) Deby's press conference, with invitations to independent
as well as pro-government journalists, and his unscripted responses
NDJAMENA 00000341 002 OF 002
took many by surprise. His seemingly straightforward replies on a
wide variety of subjects are uncharacteristic of the President.
Senior GOC officials should follow the President's lead and seek
opportunities to speak publicly with the press and to civil society.
END COMMENT.
8. (U) Minimize considered.
NIGRO
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
STATE FOR AF/C AND S/USSES
LONDON FOR POL - LORD
PARIS FOR POL - KANEDA AND BAIN
ADDIS ABABA FOR AU
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF PHUM ECON EPET CD
SUBJECT: DEBY OPINES ON CHADIAN SECURITY, REBELS, AND OIL REVENUE IN
OPEN PRESS CONFERENCE
1. (SBU) President Deby, in an unexpected move, held an unusually
inclusive press conference August 11, which is Chadian Independence
Day. The Presidency invited all of Chad's journalists, including --
exceptionally -- reporters from independent media, to the event.
Deby spoke at length in response to questions taken at random. The
main points, as quoted on the Presidency website, follow.
--------------
FEBRUARY 2008 DISAPPEARANCE
OF OPPOSITION FIGURE
--------------
2. (U) President Deby urged reporters to let the case of the
February 2008 disappearance of opposition figure Ibni Oumar Mahamat
Saleh work its way through the Chadian court system. He said no
one, including him, should interfere with the judicial process but
that all should have confidence in the judges and the system itself.
Deby also publicly regretted that journalists tended to forget
other Chadians who had disappeared during the February 2008 rebel
attack. "On February 1, 2, and 3," he said, "we lost more than 700
Chadians. They are all important in my eyes, as head of state."
--------------
REBELLION AS A BUSINESS
--------------
3. (U) President Deby said that he agreed with the perception that
being a rebel was a "business" in Chad, but claimed that this was
the result of Chad's complex history. He declared, however, that
"bonuses" to rebels were over. "Rebellion has become nowadays the
easiest way to welfare, and unfortunately this idea has been
inculcated in certain groups of exploited youth," he said. (NOTE:
Deby, last week on a visit to Faya-Largeau, had chided civil
servants and community leaders in Chad's northern regions, accusing
them of encouraging young men to join the rebellion by not providing
education, jobs and other activities. END NOTE.)
--------------
GOC DOES ITS BEST FOR SECURITY
--------------
4. (U) The President stated that the government was doing its best
with regards to security, but invited comparison of Chad's situation
with that of other countries, noting that there "zero insecurity"
does not exist even in powerful countries like the U.S. He added
that more than "700 gendarmes have been trained and will be deployed
throughout the territory" while admitting that "this is not enough,
but these efforts will continue because we aim for a far more
efficient structure, as the security of fellow citizens is our
priority." Deby claimed that the inter-ministerial Arms Control
Commission had already collected some 10,000 illegal firearms.
Regarding eastern Chad, President Deby said that "measures are being
taken to prevent the incursion of 'djanjawid' and other bandits"
into Chad.
--------------
OIL IS NOT THE ANSWER
--------------
5. (U) President Deby urged Chadians to stop thinking of Chad as
an oil-rich country. Deby stated that, "Chad does not produce as
much oil as other countries." The President explained that oil
production had increased but oil prices had dropped, but that Chad
had achieved many developments due to oil revenue.
--------------
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
--------------
6. (U) The President told journalists that "the protection of the
environment is at the heart of our fight, and that it should also be
at the heart of the population's concerns." He further stated that
"one third of the territory is desert and that desertification is
making huge inroads" and that "one cannot talk about sustainable
development without the protection of our ecosystem."
--------------
COMMENT
--------------
7. (SBU) Deby's press conference, with invitations to independent
as well as pro-government journalists, and his unscripted responses
NDJAMENA 00000341 002 OF 002
took many by surprise. His seemingly straightforward replies on a
wide variety of subjects are uncharacteristic of the President.
Senior GOC officials should follow the President's lead and seek
opportunities to speak publicly with the press and to civil society.
END COMMENT.
8. (U) Minimize considered.
NIGRO