Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
92NDJAMENA335
1992-01-21 12:09:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ndjamena
Cable title:  

CHAD'S RELATIONS WITH ITS NEIGHBORS

Tags:  PREL PINS PTER CD NI NG CM LY 
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P 211209Z JAN 92
FM AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2761
INFO AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN
AMEMBASSY BANGUI
AMEMBASSY DAKAR
AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
AMEMBASSY LAGOS
AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE
AMCONSUL DOUALA
AMCONSUL KADUNA
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE//POLAD
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0689
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NDJAMENA 00335 


E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PTER, CD, NI, NG, CM, LY
SUBJ: CHAD'S RELATIONS WITH ITS NEIGHBORS

REF: (A) NDJAMENA 302, (B) LAGOS 991, (C) NIAMEY 489
(ALL NOTAL)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NDJAMENA 00335


E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PTER, CD, NI, NG, CM, LY
SUBJ: CHAD'S RELATIONS WITH ITS NEIGHBORS

REF: (A) NDJAMENA 302, (B) LAGOS 991, (C) NIAMEY 489
(ALL NOTAL)

1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.
-
2. SUMMARY: SENIOR GOC OFFICIALS HAVE STRESSED TO ME
THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE U.S. AND OTHERS IN OUR EFFORTS TO
COUNTER LIBYAN TERRORISM, AND THEY HAVE PROVIDED
ASSURANCES THAT THEY WILL RESIST LIBYAN EFFORTS TO
NEUTRALIZE WESTERN INFLUENCE IN THIS REGARD. FOREIGN
MINISTER AHMAT BRIEFED ME ON THE PRIME MINISTER'S
RECENT VISITS TO NIGER, NIGERIA, CAMEROON AND LIBYA.
HE SAID THAT THE GOC WILL SOON SEND DELEGATIONS TO
KHARTOUM AND BANGUI AS WELL. WHILE GENERALLY PLEASED
WITH THE SUPPORT OF CHAD'S NEIGHBORS, THE FOREIGN
MINISTER HAD A REALISTIC SENSE OF WHAT IS AND WHAT IS
NOT POSSIBLE. IN THE PRESENT CONTEXT, THE GOC SEEMS
MORE CONCERNED THAN USUAL TO MAINTAIN THE SUPPORT OF
THE USG, AND IT RECOGNIZES THAT WILL REQUIRE
CONSIDERABLE CARE IN DEALING WITH LIBYA. END SUMMARY.
-
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FOLLOW-UP TO PAN AM/UTA DEMARCHE
--------------
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3. FOLLOWING LAST FRIDAY'S PAN AM 103/UTA 772 DEMARCHE
(REF A),PRESIDENT DEBY SUMMONED ME ON SATURDAY. HE
ASSURED ME THAT CHAD SUPPORTED OUR POSITION REGARDING
LIBYAN TERRORISM. HE NOTED CHAD'S OWN LOSSES ON THE
UTA 772 FLIGHT AS WELL AS ITS OTHER CONCERNS REGARDING
LIBYA. HE ALSO SAID THAT SENIOR LIBYAN OFFICIALS HAD
PHONED HIM SEEKING HIS SUPPORT. HE CLAIMED TO HAVE
REJECTED THEIR ENTREATIES. HE SAID HE GAVE PRECISE
INSTRUCTIONS TO PRIME MINISTER ALINGUE NOT TO FALL INTO
ANY LIBYAN TRAPS REGARDING THE PAN AM/UTA ISSUE.
-
4. ON MONDAY, JANUARY 20 FOREIGN MINISTER MAHAMAT
SALEH AHMAT, WHO ACCOMPANIED ALINGUE ON HIS RECENT
TRIPS TO NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES, REITERATED THE POINTS
MADE BY DEBY. HE SHOWED ME THE JOINT COMMUNIQUE SIGNED
IN TRIPOLI THE DAY BEFORE. HE DREW MY ATTENTION TO THE
UNEQUIVOCAL CONDEMNATION OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM IN
ALL ITS FORMS, NOTING THE INNOCENT LIVES THAT HAVE BEEN
LOST. THE TEXT APPEARED TO BE STRENGTHENED BY THE
CHADIANS, AND IT NOTED THAT EACH SIDE EXPLAINED ITS
RESPECTIVE POSITION. THE LIBYANS DID MANAGE TO GET
THE CHADIANS TO AGREE TO LANGUAGE NOTING THE THREATS
AND INTIMIDATION WEIGHING ON THE LIBYAN PEOPLE. CHAD
MADE SUPPORTIVE STATEMENTS TO THE LIBYAN PEOPLE WHO
FACED THREATS OF DESTABILIZATION TO THE SUB-REGION.
-
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ALINGUE'S MEETINGS
--------------
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5. ON ALINGUE'S MEETINGS IN NEIGHBORING CAPITALS,
AHMAT SAID THAT AT EACH STOP, INCLUDING TRIPOLI, THE
RESPECTIVE GOVERNMENTS OFFERED TO SUPPORT THE GOC. IN
NIGER HE SAID THE GON WAS UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORTIVE
BUT EXTREMELY LIMITED IN TERMS OF WHAT IT ACTUALLY
COULD DO GIVEN DIFFICULT DOMESTIC PRIORITIES AND
LIMITED FUNDS. HE SAID THAT THE BULK OF THE REFUGEES
WOULD BE MOVED TO DIFFA FROM N'GUIGMI AND SOME OF THE
LEADERS WOULD BE PLACED IN DOSSO. HE SAID THE
NIGERIANS AGREED TO OPEN THE BORDER WHICH IS IMPORTANT
TO PEOPLE WHO TRADE ACROSS THE FRONTIER. AHMAT NOTED
THAT THE REBELS DID NOT OBSERVE THE CLOSED BORDER IN
ANY CASE, SO THERE WAS NOTHING GAINED BY KEEPING IT
CLOSED. HE WAS HOPEFUL THAT ABUJA WOULD ACT BUT
SKEPTICAL THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COULD OVERCOME
THE EFFECT OF SUPPORT THE REBELS ARE ABLE TO GARNER IN
BORNU. AHMAT SEEMED GENERALLY SATISFIED WITH THE
MEASURES BEING TAKEN BY THE CAMEROONIANS. WHEN I ASKED
WHETHER HE FELT THAT THE GOC HAD LIBYAN SUPPORT, HE
REPLIED, QUOTE WELL, THAT IS WHAT THEY SAY. UNQUOTE.
-
6. AHMAT SAID THAT PRIME MINISTER ALINGUE INTENDS TO
LEAD DELEGATIONS SOON TO CAR AND SUDAN, AND HE SAID
THAT THE GOC IS BEING ADVISED TO CONSULT WITH THE
SENEGALESE IN DAKAR. HE SAID THAT THE MEETINGS IN
NIGER, NIGERIA AND CAMEROON ENTAILED FAIRLY SPECIFIC
NEGOTIATIONS WHILE THOSE IN OTHER CAPITALS WERE MORE IN
THE NATURE OF BRIEFINGS TO SENSITIZE CHAD'S NEIGHBORS
TO THE IMPORTANCE N'DJAMENA ATTACHES TO THE REBEL
THREAT. TALKS IN DAKAR WOULD BE AIMED AT PRESSING THE
GOS TO EXERT GREATER CONTROL OVER HABRE. AHMAT CLAIMED
THAT REBEL LEADER GOUKOUNI GUET HAS RETURNED TO
SENEGAL, PRESUMABLY TO PLAN NEXT MOVES WITH HABRE.
-
--------------
CHADIAN PERCEPTION OF THE U.S. ROLE
--------------
-
7. THE CHADIANS SEEM TO HAVE LINKED SEVERAL RECENT
DEVELOPMENTS. THE REBEL ATTACKS AND THE WAVE OF
ARRESTS THAT FOLLOWED, HAVE SHAKEN PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN
THE DEBY REGIME, AND IN THIS CONTEXT OUR VOLUNTARY
DEPARTURE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS SEEN AS A FURTHER BLOW. IN
THE MEANTIME, OUR DEMARCHES (AS WELL AS THOSE OF THE
FRENCH) BOTH ON HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES AND LIBYA APPEAR TO
HAVE HAD AN IMPACT ON DEBY. WE UNDERSTAND THAT MANY IF
NOT ALL OF THOSE ARRESTED WILL SOON BE TRIED OR
RELEASED AND THAT DEBY'S PRO-LIBYAN CHIEF OF STAFF
HASSAN FADOUL KITIR IS TO BE FIRED. THE STATEMENTS BY
DEBY AND AHMAT WERE MEANT TO ASSURE US THAT THE GOC, IN
PART TO PRESERVE U.S. SUPPORT, IS CONDUCTING ITS
RELATIONSHIP WITH LIBYA WITH GREAT CARE. FROM DEBY'S
PERSPECTIVE, IN THE AFTERMATH OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED THIS
MONTH, IT IS CRUCIAL TO HAVE U.S. SUPPORT BECAUSE OF
THE LEGITIMACY IT BESTOWS ON HIM.
-
8. AT THIS POINT, WE WANT TO WAIT TO SEE IF INDEED THE
ACTIONS NOTED IN PARA 8 WILL BE TAKEN, AND IF THEY ARE
WHAT REACTIONS WILL FOLLOW. WE ANTICIPATE MAKING
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS AT THAT TIME.

BOGOSIAN