VZCZCXRO6271
PP RUEHGI RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHNJ #0065 0311500
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 311500Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6040
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBP/AMEMBASSY BAMAKO PRIORITY 0892
RUEHGI/AMEMBASSY BANGUI PRIORITY 1468
RUEHNM/AMEMBASSY NIAMEY PRIORITY 3036
RUEHNK/AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT PRIORITY 0156
RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE PRIORITY 1646

UNCLAS NDJAMENA 000065 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR OPS, AF/C, DS, CA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL PINR CASC MOPS SU CD PINS ASEC
SUBJECT: SITREP 1: CHAD REMAINS JITTERY AS REBELS ADVANCE 
 
REF: NDJAMENA 64 AND PREVIOUS 
 
--------------- 
MISSION POSTURE 
--------------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) As of 15:10, January 31, the U.S. Embassy is staffed 
with the following personnel: AMB, A/DCM, OMS, POL/ECON, 
CONS, IPC, PAO, FMS, FMO, GSO, RSO (2) and DAO, as well as 
selected locally engaged staff.  All other personnel and 
eligible family members (EFMs) are at standfast at their 
respective residences. Post continues to advise all 
previously scheduled officials visits to Chad be canceled 
until further notice. Ambassador and others are in close 
contact with their French and UN counterparts. The EAC will 
reconvene at 16:15 hours local to review security posture and 
discuss authorized departure plans. 
 
----------------------- 
SITUATION ON THE GROUND 
----------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Chad remains jittery as rebels advance across the 
country and may reach the capital within the next 24 hours. 
President Deby has moved outside N'djamena to lead the fight 
and intercept the Chadian rebels before they reach the 
capital. 
 
¶3. (SBU) French Ambassador tells us that rebels are at 
Amdjemna 70 miles west of Ati on the Abeche-N'djamena road, 
between two Chadian government formations. One government 
formation is pursuing the rebels from Abeche (exact location 
of this force is unknown), the other located at Ngoura, 120 
miles west of N'djamena and 60 miles east Amdjemena. The 
French fear that the Chadian government forces will be forced 
to engage the rebels before the Chad forces have achieved 
maxium numerical superiority over rebels. If the Chadians 
engage prematurely or if the rebels force an engagement 
before Chadians bring their superior numbers to bear, a rebel 
victory will leave the road to N'djamena open to them. The 
Chadian government plan is to bring all their forces to 
engage the rebels, ideally from both east and west. Rebels 
reportedly have surrounded all major towns, including Abeche. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Further to reftel, there still has been no ground 
fighting with government troops. An Embassy contact told 
PolOff that rebel movement spokesman Acheikh Ibni Oumar is 
interested in starting negotiations with government, with 
U.S. or AU as facilitator, on the grounds that the rebel 
movement does not want bloodshed. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The French Embassy, the UN, and other international 
organizations have instructed their staff to standfast in 
their residences. The Exxon-Mobil led oil consortium has 
ordered all family members to depart the country. Schools and 
banks are closed. 
NIGRO