VZCZCXRO4573
RR RUEHTRO
DE RUEHNJ #0849/01 3041814
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 311814Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5842
INFO RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1748
RUEHNM/AMEMBASSY NIAMEY 3010
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 2269
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT 0107
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 0442

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NDJAMENA 000849 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
PARIS AND LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS, CA/ACS, RABAT FOR 
LEGATT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CASC PTER LY CD
SUBJECT: CHAD: GODBOLD UPDATE 10/30 
 
REF: A. NDJAMENA 832 
     ¶B. NDJAMENA 825 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  Seized Amcit Cash Steve Godbold has been 
moved to a location deeper in the heart of the Tibesti, but 
his colleagues in N'Djamena are still confident that he is in 
good health and being well treated.  The Red Cross has been 
contacted and is ready to facilitate his release, but they 
cautioned that they would not be involved in negotiations. 
Press releases characterizing Godbold as working with a U.S 
Government-funded project are misleading, and a corrected 
press release should be issued.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Charge, RSO, PAO and Consular Officer met with 
colleagues of seized American Cash Steve Godbold Carl Hodges 
and Mark Ortman and two Ndjamena-based International Red 
Cross (ICRC) staff members on October 30 to discuss the 
latest developments in the case. Charge briefed attendees on 
her meeting with the Chadian Secretary of State for the 
interior (reftel A) and informed them that she had also 
discussed the case on October 26 with the President's Civil 
Cabinet Director, Mahamat Hissein.  Hissein informed Charge 
that the Presidential Advisor for International Relations, 
Youssouf Saleh Abbas (himself a former MDJT rebel) would be 
tasked with handling the matter on his return from 
Libreville.  Hissein described the situation as very 
concerning.  He volunteered that he thought the rebels were 
doing it for money.  He expressed exasperation that - despite 
years of GOC negotiations with the MDJT - the MDJT was never 
satisfied. 
 
¶3. (SBU)  Godbold's colleagues were concerned that press 
reports link Steve to the U.S. Government.  They stressed 
that Steve was assisting the Chadian Association for the 
Development of the Tibesti in his capacity as a friend of 
individuals in the association.   He was not a subcontractor 
of the U.S. government and was not working for the project. 
Press reports have characterized Godbold as either a 
"sub-contractor" or "working with the project" which gives an 
erroneous impression of his relationship with the U.S. 
Government.  They were also concerned that the name of their 
U.S.-based organization (TEAM) was being used in press 
releases.  They explained that they preferred to be referred 
to use the Committee for the Coordination of Missionary 
Activities of the Evangelical Church in Chad (French acronym 
EET/COCOAM) which is the body under whose auspices they 
operate in Chad. CDA agreed that a revised press release 
should be sent out clarifying Godbold's relationship with the 
USG (comment: this will be cleared through PA/Washington and 
should be available there as well. End comment). 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Hodges informed CDA that his organization had 
decided to send out a crisis management expert in a week if 
the situation was not yet resolved.  Hodges was grateful to 
learn that expert hostage negotiation teams were available 
from the USG if needed, but he did not think that this was 
required for the time being. Godbold's wife and children will 
return to the United States next week. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Ortman informed the group that senior Tubu member 
Hader Adji (please protect) had been in contact with MDJT 
leader Choa Dazi (see reftel B for CDA discussion with Adji). 
 The possibility of releasing Godbold to Libya or Niger was 
discussed.  Adji reportedly told Dazi that release in Libya 
was a non-starter.  Release in Niger was a possibility, but 
release in Chad would be optimal.  Red Cross participants 
noted that they do not have a delegation in Libya and 
therefore would not be able to facilitate his release there. 
Niger would be a possibility.  Ideally the rebels would agree 
to release Godbold in a location in Chad.  The Red Cross 
would need logistics support and Government of Chad assurance 
that they were authorized to enter into MDJT territory, but 
they would be available to facilitate a hand-over of Godbold 
from the MDJT.  They could not, however, enter into 
negotiations with the MDJT. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  Godbold has not spoken by satellite phone with 
anyone since early last week and he is not believed to have 
access to a phone. Ortman and Hodges stated that he had been 
moved to a more distant location.  He was now in the town of 
Moudouran - 40 kilometers from Zoumri and 100 kilometers from 
Bardai.  Despite not having had contact with him, they were 
confident that he was in good health and was being well 
treated. 
 
 
NDJAMENA 00000849  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Hodges and Ortman continue to believe that quiet 
negotiations and pressure by the Tubu community will be the 
most effective means of gaining Godbold's release. 
 
¶7.  (U) Tripoli minimize considered. 
TAMLYN