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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 FEST TWO 000012 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PARIS AND LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS, AMCONSUL CAPETOWN FOR DAS SWAN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  2/22/2018 
TAGS: PREL PREF PGOV PHUM SU CD
SUBJECT: NDJAMENA 006: EU PRESSURES CHAD ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND 
POLITICAL ISSUES 
 
FEST TWO 00000012  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: LucyTamlyn, Deputy Chief of Mission  , U.S. 
Embassy N'Djamena , State Department . 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
¶1.  (SBU)  Summary.   As a result of EU and French pressure 
(linked with the expected upcoming visit of French President 
Sarkozy, possibly accompanied by an EC official), the Government 
of Chad has publically agreed to set up a Commission of Inquiry 
to investigate the disappearances of political leaders Yorongar 
and Ibni Oumar. The Government has also declared itself ready to 
relaunch the implementation of the political agreement signed on 
August 13, 2007 with the political opposition.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) The Ambassador met with EU Ambassador Gilles 
Desesquelles February 22 to discuss the fate of political 
opposition leaders, the prospects for resumption of the 
implementation of the August 13, 2007 agreement with the 
political opposition, and the EU Mission's security posture. 
 
EU RESPONSE TO MISSING POLITICAL LEADERS AND STATE OF EMERGENCY 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
--------------------------------------------- ------------------- 
3.(C)  Ambassador Desesquelles reported that he had met with 
President Deby February 19 to raise concerns about the State of 
Emergency and to ask about the fate of the detained or missing 
political leaders.  (Note: EU Commissioner Luis Michel issued a 
press release February 11 expressing concern about the arrest of 
opposition representatives in Chad.  End note.)   Desesquelles 
urged the President to limit the State of Emergency to no more 
than a month and expressed particular concern about curtailment 
of freedom of expression.  Granted a meeting with detained 
political leader Lol Mahamat Choa the next evening (to which he 
was accompanied by Minister of Interior Bechir and Presidential 
Counselor for International Relations Youssef Saleh Abbas), he 
reported finding the former President in good health and in a 
much improved setting (when the French Ambassador had seen him 
he was in a location without access to water or sanitation and 
was haggard and unshaven).  Desesquelles had asked of Choa: 
"you are accused of having a meeting with rebel leader Mahamat 
Nouri, do you acknowledge this information?"  Choa replied that 
this was not true, that he was a man of peace who only advocated 
peaceful means of political change and respect for the 
constitution.  Desesquelles asked further, "is this arrest 
arbitrary" to which Choa responded "yes."  Desesquelles related 
that this exchange clearly irritated Minister Bechir. 
 
5.(C) Concerning the two missing political leaders, Ibni Oumar 
and Yorongar, Desesquelles reported that the French Ambassador 
believed that Yorongar was in hiding in southern Chad.  As far 
as Ibni Oumar, Desesquelles' personal opinion was that he had 
been taken and probably roughed up; the government might be 
waiting for him to be "presentable" before releasing.  He 
reiterated that this was only his hunch -- he had no 
confirmation that this was in fact true. 
 
¶6. (C) Desesquelles noted that the EU had been first off of the 
block to condemn the rebel attack (February 1) and to accuse 
Sudan of supporting the movement. Desesquelles confided that the 
French had been a bit "fuzzier" on the events.  They appeared to 
have been sitting on the fence on Feb 1-2 to see who might be 
the victor (after having asked President Deby on February 1 if 
he wished assistance in leaving the country.).  Desesquelles 
noted that the French Defense Minister's statement of February 2 
that N'Djamena was in the hands of the rebels was quite 
different from the interview with French radio which 
Desesquelles had given that day in which he stated that, 
although the situation on the ground was quite confused, the 
Presidential Palace and the airfield were still in the hands of 
the government. 
 
FRANCE AND EU SET PRECONDITIONS TO HIGH LEVEL VISITS 
 
¶7. (C) Ambassador Desesquelles informed the Ambassador that a 
"high ranking EC representative might accompany French President 
Sarkozy in his upcoming visit to Chad (not confirmed, but 
possibly on Wednesday February 27.)   He stated that both the EC 
and the French had insisted that as a precondition to this visit 
that the Government of Chad relaunch the political reform 
process and set up a Commission of Inquiry to look into the 
disappearances of political opposition leaders.  The Government 
 
FEST TWO 00000012  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
had accordingly released a statement on February 20 stating that 
the GOC undertook to put in place a Commission of Inquiry which 
would be open to the international community.  The statement 
also stated the government's willingness to pursue the 
implementation of the political agreement of August 13, 2007. 
Desesquelles stressed that the Commission of Inquiry would 
ideally have representatives of the international community, 
such as the International Red Cross, or the office of the UN 
High Commissioner for Human Rights.  Ambassador Nigro queried 
whether there were concrete steps that had been agreed that 
would show that movement was happening on these goals. 
Desesquelles said that there were not, and acknowledged that one 
of his challenges would be to bring the remaining CPDC members 
back to the negotiating table. 
 
EUFOR PROGRESS AND MINURCAT BLOCKAGE 
 
¶8. (SBU) Ambassador Desesquelles reported that the lack of 
agreement on compensation for Chadian gendarmes and police 
working with MINURCAT (the GOC is insisting that these be paid 
at expatriate rates) was a serious problem.  Full EUFOR 
deployment required MINURCAT deployment.  He noted that UN Under 
Secretary Guehenno and EC Commissioner Luis Michel had both 
 
SIPDIS 
raised this with the President, with no success.  In the 
meantime, EUFOR advance deployment itself was moving along 
rapidly.  During a recent visit to Abeche he witnessed the 
arrival of Portuguese and Polish troops.  Some 550 forces were 
now deployed, and great progress was being made.  He candidly 
remarked that this was the first time that European forces were 
operating on an intervention mission under the Common Defense 
Policy and it was imperative that the mission succeed. 
Ambassador Desesquelles also mentioned that he had raised with 
French Foreign Affairs Adviser Chevalier (currently visiting 
Chad) the idea of having another conference for countries in the 
region to discuss regional stability issues. 
 
EU  MISSION SECURITY POSTURE 
 
¶9. (SBU)  Ambassador Desesquelles commented that President Deby 
may believe that he is stronger as a result of the recent 
victory, but in fact his situation is more fragile. Desesquelles 
was aware of concerns of another rebel attack. Following the 
lead of the French Embassy, family members of the EU Mission 
have departed country.  In theory they will be allowed back in 
on March 10 (date of re-opening of the French school).  They 
may return before that, but will not be provided assistance in 
the event of an evacuation.  Desesquelles noted that the March 
10 date was of course subject to the security situation 
prevailing at the time. 
 
COMMENT 
---------------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU) The high ranking EC official is most likely Louis 
Michel, EC Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Affairs. 
NIGRO