VZCZCXRO0653
OO RUEHBC RUEHBZ RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHKUK RUEHMA
RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHNJ #0334 2241411
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 121411Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7156
RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS NDJAMENA 000334 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF MOPS MARR SU LY FR CD
SUBJECT: FRENCH CDA ON CHAD-SUDAN BORDER ISSUES 
 
REF: (A) STATE 80741, (B) NDJAMENA 304 
 
¶1.  (SBU) AMBASSADOR MET WITH FRENCH CHARGE ERWAN DE GOUVELLO AND 
SECOND COUNSELOR FOR POLMIL AFFAIRS JEROME THEUERKAUFF ON AUGUST 6. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) THE KEY POINTS OF OUR DISCUSSION WERE: 
 
-- THE FRENCH WERE SKEPTICAL OF RECENT SUDAN GOVERNMENT ACCUSATIONS 
OF LARGE-SCALE INCURSIONS INTO SUDAN BY CHADIAN ARMY UNITS NORTH OF 
EL GENEINA. 
 
-- THE FRENCH DESCRIBED CURRENT CHADIAN DEFENSIVE TACTICS ALONG THE 
BORDER WITH SUDAN AS FAIRLY SOPHISTICATED. 
 
-- MIXED UNITS COMPOSED OF GENDARMES AND "NOMAD GUARDS" (A CHADIAN 
MILITARY SERVICE ADAPTED TO DESERT OPERATIONS) PATROLLED THE BORDER 
NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE EL GENEINA-ABECHE AXIS, WHILE CHADIAN 
NATIONAL ARMY (ANT) UNITS REMAINED IN FIXED POSITIONS AND ABLE TO 
SERVE AS MANEUVER FORCES IN CASE OF THREAT FROM SUDAN. 
 
-- THE FRENCH SAID THERE WAS ALWAYS THE CHANCE THAT CHAD MILITARY 
PATROLLING ALONG THE VAGUE AND UNMARKED BORDER COULD STRAY ACROSS IT 
AND THERE WAS AS WELL THE POSSIBILITY OF "FREE-LANCE" RAIDING ACROSS 
THE BORDER BY UNDER-EMPLOYED AND UNDER-DISCIPLINED CHADIAN TROOPS. 
 
-- THE FRENCH DID NOT DISCOUNT THAT THE SUDANESE CHARGES WERE LINKED 
TO SOME KIND OF REBEL- OR BANDIT-RELATED ACTIVITY AND ADDED THAT 
SUDANESE CHARGES THAT THE CHAD MILITARY TOOK PRISONERS OR HOSTAGES 
VERY QUESTIONABLE, BECAUSE THEY DID NOT FIT PREVIOUS PATTERNS OF 
CHAD BEHAVIOR. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶3.  (SBU) THE FRENCH ARE CERTAINLY IN A POSITION TO KNOW HOW MUCH 
TRUTH THE SUDANESE ACCUSATIONS CONTAIN.  WHETHER THEY WERE TELLING 
US THE ULTIMATE TRUTH AS THEY SAW IT OR WERE GOING TO THEIR DEFAULT 
POSITION OF DEFENDING THE GOC WHENEVER POSSIBLE (AND CREDIBLE) IS 
ANOTHER MATTER. 
 
 
NIGRO