VZCZCXRO8297
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHNJ #1356/01 3291554
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 251554Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4602
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI PRIORITY 0348
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NDJAMENA 001356 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/25/2016 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PMOPS PINR PREF CD
SUBJECT: CHADIAN REBELS LAUNCH OFFENSIVE 
 
 
NDJAMENA 00001356  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: Poloff John O'Leary.  Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d) 
 
¶1.  (C)  Summary.  Chadian rebels may have taken the 
important regional capital of Abeche and appear to have taken 
Biltine.  Looting is reported in Abeche, though the French 
garrison has secured the airport and is offering sanctuary to 
civilians.  Two major rebel groups appear to be cooperating 
in a plan to take eastern Chad, and they hope for additional 
recruits following a success.  The UN and some other Western 
concerns are evacuating or considering the evacuation of 
their nonessential personnel and/or dependents.  Military 
cooperation is a significant achievement for the rebels, but 
an important third group appears still to be refusing to join 
the others.  N'Djamena is calm.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (C)  Emboff visiting eastern regional capital of Abeche 
(13,49 N; 20,49 E) reported yesterday, 11/24, that two rebel 
columns had crossed into Chad from Sudan that afternoon,  The 
first column (80 vehicles) was headed toward Goz Beida (12,43 
N; 21,25 E) and the second column (40 vehicles) for Am Timam 
(11,02 N; 20,17 E).  Local Chadian authorities reportedly 
left Goz Beida, and schools and markets there were closed. 
Humanitarian workers at the nearby refugee camp were standing 
fast on their compound, providing only essential services to 
the camp. 
 
¶3.  (C)  Emboff reported from Abeche this morning (11/25) 
that artillery and automatic weapons fire could be heard in 
the vicinity of Abeche.  French forces stationed in the town 
reportedly have secured the airport but closed it until at 
least Monday, 11/27.  Cell phones are not working.  A third 
rebel column reportedly was in the vicinity of Guereda (14,31 
N; 22,05 E) at 0800. 
 
¶4.  (C)  As of 1300 hours local, it appeared that rebels of 
the United Front for Democracy and Development (UFDD) had 
taken Abeche.  We had several reliable reports that these 
rebels were looting Chadian government offices and military 
facilities.  "Medecins sans Frontiere" in Abeche told Emboff 
that 40 wounded rebel fighters and four Chadian National Army 
(ANT) soldiers were in the Abeche hospital.  A source told 
another Emboff that ANT forces from Abeche were withdrawing 
toward Oum Hadjar (13,18 N; 19,41 E), approximately 80 KM 
west of Abeche.  Nonetheless, as of 1600, reports indicated 
that the situation may still be fluid.  While it is almost 
certain that the ANT has left Abeche, it is less certain that 
the rebels actually control it. 
 
¶5.  (C)  Multiple sources have told us that rebel units have 
taken the regional capital of Biltine (14,32 N; 20,55 E). 
 
¶6.  (C)  Emboff in Abeche at UNHCR compound reports that the 
refugee camps at Bahai, Goz Beida, and Koukou are calm. 
Chadian government gendarmes guarding the Djabal refugee camp 
reportedly fled when they received news of a rebel column to 
the south, but they remain in the vicinity and are in contact 
with UNHCR. 
 
¶7.  (C)  The new French Ambassador, Bruno Foucher, told the 
Ambassador this morning that 39 French citizens in Abeche had 
gathered at the Abeche airport under the protection of French 
troops stationed there.  The French garrison has indicated a 
willingness to take in other civilians, provided they bring 
their own water and other provisions. 
 
¶8.  (C)  A well-placed source from the Goran ethnic group 
(the same group as UFDD leader Mahamat Nouri), told the 
Ambassador this morning that the rebel aim is to take eastern 
Chad.  Two of the rebel groups, Nouri's UFDD and Mahamat 
Nour's United Front for Chad (FUC), have joined forces and 
are moving into Chad in five columns.  One has taken Abeche. 
Another has taken Biltine.  Two columns are protecting the 
Abeche column from ANT forces based along the border in Adre 
(13,28 N; 22,12 E) and Ade (12,40 N; 21,54 E).  The fifth 
column is headed for the regional capital of Am Timam. 
 
¶9.  (C)  The Goran source indicated that the goal of the 
current campaign is to take Abeche and refuel and rearm from 
government stockpiles located there.  The three columns 
concentrated around Abeche would then leave a holding force 
in the town and return to the border to take Adre and Ade. 
The rebels do not plan to attack N,Djamena immediately, 
although N'Djamena is the ultimate prize. 
 
¶10.  (C)  According to the Goran source, the rebels expect 
the GOC to reinforce the town of Mongo (12,11 N; 18,42 E) 
along the best road between Abeche and N,Djamena, and 
another Embassy source indicates that the government is doing 
exactly that.  Nouri and Nour expect that success in the East 
 
NDJAMENA 00001356  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
will attract volunteers, especially Goran from the Biltine 
region. 
 
¶11.  (C)  A UNICEF source reports that the United Nations has 
recommended evacuation of its dependents, expected Sunday 
11/26 or Monday 11/27.  ExxonMobil and ENCANA have indicated 
that they will drawdown nonessential staff.  The N'Djamena 
airport is open, and all regularly scheduled flights are 
flying.  Some seats are available on the Air France flight 
tonight and tomorrow, but Emboff noted a long line at the 
reservation/ticket counter. 
 
¶12.  (U)  N'Djamena is calm, and traffic this morning was 
normal for a Saturday.  The French school is open. 
 
¶13.  (U)  The EAC met this morning (septel) in response to 
the situation in the East and will convene again at 1600 
hours local.  The consular officer distributed a warden 
message pertaining to today's events, instructing Americans 
to limit movements and review emergency preparedness.  The 
French Embassy has instructed its citizens to be vigilant and 
limit movements. 
 
¶14.  (C)  Comment.  The collaboration between the UFDD and 
the FUC is a significant development in rebel cooperation and 
will complicate President Deby's efforts to survive the 
rebellion.  Tom Erdmi's SCUD Zaghawa rebel group, however, 
appears once again to be sitting out the fighting, unable to 
overcome the enmity between the Goran and the Zaghawa.  ANT 
plans in the face of this rebel advance are unknown at this 
time.  End Comment. 
 
¶15.  (U)  Tripoli minimize considered. 
WALL