VZCZCXRO0616
OO RUEHBC RUEHBZ RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHKUK RUEHMA
RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHNJ #0165/01 1301509
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 101509Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6909
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHDO/AMEMBASSY DOHA PRIORITY 0026
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI PRIORITY 0617
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA PRIORITY 0227
RUEHBZ/AMEMBASSY BRAZZAVILLE PRIORITY 0055
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NDJAMENA 000165 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
KHARTOUM FOR SE GRATION 
STATE FOR AF/C, AF/USSES, S/ES-O, DS/CC, DS/IP/AF, DS/OSAC, 
CA/OSC/ASC 
NSC FOR GAVIN AND HUDSON 
LONDON FOR POL -- LORD 
PARIS FOR POL -- D'ELIA AND KANEDA 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR AU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MOPS ASEC PREL PREF SU UN AU LY FR CASC CD
SUBJECT: CHAD UPDATE 5/10:  GOC TRUMPETS DECISIVE VICTORY 
OVER REBELS; PONDERS CUTTING TIES WITH KHARTOUM 
 
REF: A. NDJAMENA 163 
     ¶B. NDJAMENA 161 AND PREVIOUS 
 
NDJAMENA 00000165  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) MILITARY BALANCE:  As of May 10, the Government of 
Chad (GOC) continues to trumpet its "decisive victory" over 
Union of Resistance Forces (UFR) rebels in southeastern Chad. 
 On May 6 and 7, Chadian military forces bombed rebel columns 
near Koukou, Angarana, Kerfi, and Haouish.  According to our 
best sources, the Chadian National Army (ANT) converged May 7 
on Am-Dam from Mongo to the west and Abeche to the east and 
battled the rebels for two hours.  ANT forces also took out 
another rebel column located to the south of Am-Dam the night 
of May 7 and into the day of May 8.  Rebels who escaped the 
battles fled south, but have been pursued by ANT forces who 
continue to "mop up" remaining UFR fighters.  The GOC 
continues to claim the right to engage in hot pursuit into 
Sudan if it deems this necessary (see para 5). 
 
¶2.  (SBU) According to sources, the ANT has killed 200-some 
rebels and captured 152 fighters belonging to rebel leaders 
Mahamat Hamoda Bechir and Sogour Djittou Koua; the ANT also 
recovered 67 rebel vehicles and destroyed another 73.  ANT 
casualties number 21 deaths, 30 injured, and 7 destroyed 
vehicles.  The casualty totals among rebels may go higher. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) SECURITY STATUS IN EASTERN CHAD:  Sources continue 
to state that UFR rebels are scattered and disorganized as 
they attempt retreat from Chad, despite rebel propaganda 
claiming the UFR has regrouped.  The GOC believes that UFR 
rebels do not pose any current threat to Chadian security and 
stability, although there is concern that fleeing rebels 
could still target humanitarians operating in the east. 
MINURCAT will redeploy staff May 10 to the IDP camp in Koukou 
and plans to resume air operations to Goz Beida on May 11. 
MINURCAT is also hoping to resume all operations and its 
normal security posture on May 11, but will conduct one more 
review before making a final decision. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!":  Chadian President Idriss Deby 
Itno assumed a defiant stance toward Sudan in a late May 9 
address to heads of Chadian political parties.  Deby said 
that his government was considering severing diplomatic ties 
with Sudan over Khartoum's backing of the rebel incursion. 
Deby stated that his government had the means and the right 
to defend itself and its people and would act accordingly. 
The President also stated that Sudanese-financed schools and 
cultural centers would be closed and Sudanese instructors 
sent home.  Further, he empowered a commission, under the 
Prime Minister's authority, to evaluate next steps vis-a-vis 
Sudan, including the possibility of severing diplomatic ties. 
 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Deby did not limit his condemnation to Sudan.  He 
criticized the African Union for having been unable to 
resolve the Chad-Sudan crisis and indicated that he was 
inclined to ask the United Nations to undertake mediation. 
Deby also criticized the "unfriendly" actions of Libya and 
China during the May 8 UN Security Council meeting (Ref A). 
Deby asserted that Chad retained the right to go in hot 
pursuit of Chadian rebels fleeing into Sudan.  Deby's address 
expanded on comments of FM Moussa Faki Mahamat May 8, to the 
effect that Chad sought peace but could not permit the 
adventurism of a regime that had violated the 
international-community norms and spread death and 
destruction at home as well as in Chad.  (Ref A). 
 
¶6.  (SBU) TOUR FOR JOURNALISTS:  The GoC invited 
internationally accredited journalists on an aerial tour of 
Am-Dam May 8 to display evidence of Ndjamena's military 
victories over rebel forces.  Some of those journalists told 
us that they had witnessed the evacuation of ANT wounded (in 
the neighborhood of 20-some soldiers) and sw many destroyed 
vehicles and bodies dispersed oer a broad area.  Most 
destruction seemed to hav occurred as a result of ground 
fire rather thanaerial bombardments.  Rebel weapons seized 
 
NDJAMENA 00000165  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
by the ANT were of Chinese origin, and included sophisticated 
communications equipment and MANPADS.  The journalists 
reported they were turned back from the vicinity of Harouish 
-- the site of the government's defeat of the second rebel 
column -- when their escorts heard live fire from the area. 
Some rebels were not going quietly, said the journalists, 
although whether the rebels themselves were firing as they 
left or were being attacked by Chadian troops was not clear. 
This is consistent with GOC claims to be conducting "mopping 
up operations" of those rebels still in Chad.  If the GoS 
does not allow Chad rebels back into Sudan, they will seek 
refuge in northern CAR. 
 
¶7. (SBU) An Al Jazeera correspondent who traveled to eastern 
Chad as part of the journalists' delegation stayed on, 
presumably because he wanted to report on what he found in 
the region independent of GoC influence.  The extent of 
damage to rebel vehicles suggested that the era of 
nearly-matched forces was over, and the GoC strength is 
significantly superior to that of the rebels. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) FRANCE/CHAD:  The French Ambassador told us that 
President Sarkozy called President Deby late May 7 to urge 
the GOC to exercise restraint in victory and not risk 
widening the war by pursuing fleeing rebels into Sudan.  The 
French Ambassador repeated those admonitory remarks for 
FORMIN Faki May 9 (Ref A). 
 
¶9.  (SBU) NDJAMENA CALM:  Life in N'Djamena is normal; 
markets are operating at a usual level of Sunday business; 
traffic is moving at its Sunday best. 
 
¶10.  (U) Minimize considered. 
NIGRO