VZCZCXRO7867
RR RUEHGI RUEHTRO
DE RUEHNJ #0451/01 2770933
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 030933Z OCT 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6488
INFO RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE 1725
RUEHGI/AMEMBASSY BANGUI 1539
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 2339
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 0484
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0518
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1785
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 1005

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NDJAMENA 000451 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PARIS AND LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS, STATE FOR AF, AF/C, AF/EPS, 
AND AF/RSA 
ADDIS ALSO FOR AU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF ECON PHUM UN LY CT CD
SUBJECT: CHAD CHRONICLE:  SEPT 29 - OCT 3, 2008 
 
------------- 
¶1. EDUCATION 
-------------- 
 
SCHOOLS RESUMED ON OCTOBER 01, 2008.  HOWEVER, REGISTRATION IS VERY 
SLOW AND SOME CLASSROOMS ARE NOT READY FOR STUDENTS.  REPORTEDLY 
MANY PARENTS FIND IT DIFFICULT TO PAY SCHOOL FEES FOR CHILDREN IN 
ADDITION TO BUYING UNIFORMS AND SCHOOL MATERIALS. 
 
A GROUP OF UNIVERSITY OF NDJAMENA STUDENTS DECLARED THAT THEY WILL 
MARCH IN THE CITY UNTIL THE GOVERNMENT PAYS OVERDUE SCHOLARSHIPS. IN 
RESPONSE, THE MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION, DR OUMAR IDRISS 
ALFAROUK, WARNED THE STUDENTS AGAINST DISTURBANCE OF ACADEMIC 
ACTIVITIES AT THE UNIVERSITY. THE MINISTER AFFIRMED THAT NO FORM OF 
ANARCHY WOULD BE ALLOWED. 
----------------- --------------------------- 
¶2. JUSTICE 
------------------ -------------------------- 
--AN ASSOCIATION OF VICTIMS OF HISSEIN HABRE'S REGIME DISTRIBUTED A 
LIST NAMING THE SECURITY AGENTS WHO  PERPETRATED TORTURE DURING 
HABRE'S REIGN. INITIAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE ASSOCIATION AND THE 
GOVERNMENT OF CHAD PROVIDED THAT NO ONE WHO ENGAGED IN ABUSES SHOULD 
REMAIN IN THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.  HOWEVER, SOME KEY MEMBERS OF 
THE HABRE ERA SECURITY SERVICES STILL HOLD INFLUENTIAL POSITIONS. 
 
-- THE NEWSPAPER L'OBSERVATEUR PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE CITING THE 2008 
REPORT OF TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL.  ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE, 
CHAD CONTINUES, FOR THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR, TO BE AMONG THE MOST 
CORRUPT NATIONS IN THE WORLD WHILE OTHER COUNTRIES SUCH AS NIGERIA 
HAVE GREATLY IMPROVED THEIR ECONOMIC SYSTEMS AND THEREFORE THEIR 
LISTINGS. 
 
------------------- ----------------- 
¶3. ECONOMY 
------------------- ------------------ 
 
-- ACCORDING TO L'OBSERVATEUR, THE GLOBAL CRISIS, WHICH HAS 
CONSEQUENCES FOR EUROPEAN BANKS, WILL ALSO IMPACT ON THE ECONOMIES 
OF AFRICA. AFRICA TOO RISKS DISORGANIZATION AND A TIGHTER CREDIT 
CRUNCH. DESPITE THAT GLOOMY FORECAST, MR. ALEXANDRE GANDOU, 
PRESIDENT OF THE COMMISSION FOR THE CONTROL OF THE FINANCIAL MARKETS 
IN CENTRAL AFRICA (COSUMAF) NOTED THAT EVERYTHING IS IN PLACE FOR 
THE LAUNCHING OF NATIONAL STOCK MARKETS IN THE REGION. 
 
-- THE CHADIAN POST-OFFICE FACES DIFFICULT TIMES. AUTONOMOUS SINCE 
1998, POSTAL EQUIPMENT IS OLD AND THE OFFICE IS NOT ABLE TO FINANCE 
NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION. 
 
 
----------------------- --------------------- 
¶4. CULTURE: COPYRIGHT PROTECTION 
---------------------- ---------------------- 
 
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CHADIAN OFFICE FOR COPYRIGHT 
PROTECTION HELD ITS FIRST ORDINARY SESSION WITH THE OBJECTIVE TO 
EXPLORE BETTER SYSTEMS FOR THE PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT OF 
COPYRIGHTS IN ORDER TO PRESERVE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND STIMULATE 
CREATIVITY. 
 
------------------ ------------------- 
¶5. SOCIAL 
------------------- ------------------ 
IN AN EFFORT TO FIGHT UNJUSTIFIED INFLATION OF PRICES, THE MINISTER 
OF COMMERCE VISITED MARKETS IN N'DJAMENA ON SEPTEMBER 29 AMONG OTHER 
THINGS TO VERIFY THAT THE RECENT GOVERNMENT LEVIED PRICE FOR 
CHARCOAL WAS BEING RESPECTED.  THE GOVERNMENT SET THE PRICE AT 3,000 
CFA PER BAG, BUT TRADERS WERE SELLING IT FOR MORE THAN 4,000 CFA TO 
THE PUBLIC. THE MINISTER WAS DISAPPOINTED. 
 
----------------- -------------------- 
¶6. RELIGION 
----------------- -------------------- 
CHADIAN MUSLIMS CELEBRATED THE END OF RAMADAN ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2008. 
 IN GENERAL, CELEBRATIONS WERE PEACEFUL BUT LE PROGRES NEWSPAPER 
REPORTED FIGHTING IN GOZ-BEIDA BETWEEN THE FOLLOWERS OF TWO IMAMS IN 
THAT TOWN. THE TWO IMAMS HAVE AN ONGOING DISPUTE OVER LEADERSHIP OF 
THE TOWN'S BIG MOSQUE. UNLIKE THE PREVIOUS YEARS, PRESIDENT DEBY 
CELEBRATED THE END OF RAMADAN IN AMDJARESS, HIS HOMETOWN. IN 
N'DJAMENA, THE PRESIDENT WAS REPRESENTED AT THE BIG PRAYER MEETING 
BY THE PRIME MINISTER, MR. YOUSSOUF SALEH ABBAS, WHO ALSO RECEIVED 
MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS AND ISLAMIC LEADERS WHO TRANSMITTED 
HOLIDAY GREETINGS TO THE PRESIDENT.  NEWSPAPERS REPORTED THAT IN 
 
NDJAMENA 00000451  002 OF 002 
 
 
MOST IDD PREACHINGS, KEY POINTS WERE PEACE IN THE COUNTRY AND AMONG 
THE PEOPLE OF CHAD. 
 
GRIBBIN