VZCZCXRO7752
OO RUEHBC RUEHBZ RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHKUK RUEHMA
RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHNJ #0602/01 3501318
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 161318Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7515
INFO RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 NDJAMENA 000602 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR AF/C 
STATE FOR S/USSES 
DOD FOR DASD HUDDLESTON 
NSC FOR GAVIN 
LONDON FOR POL - LORD 
PARIS FOR POL - BAIN AND KANEDA 
ADDIS ABABA ALSO FOR AU 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF MARR PHUM ECON EFIN PINR SU
LY, CD 
SUBJECT: "INTRA-CHADIAN DIPLOMACY" AND "CHADIAN NATIONAL 
RECONCILIATION" CONTINUE TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS 
 
REF: A. NDJAMENA 591 
     ¶B. NDJAMENA 507 
     ¶C. NDJAMENA 457 
 
------------------ 
SUMMARY AND COMMENT 
------------------- 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  National Mediator Abderamane Moussa told the 
Ambassador December 14 that the GOC's "national 
reconciliation" efforts continued to claim success, with the 
return of former armed rebels and former regime opponents to 
Chad.  Moussa cited three recent events:  the return to Chad 
this week by former regime opponent Dr. Mahamout Nahor 
Ngawara, head of the dissident Democratic Popular Front 
party, after 12 years in self-imposed exile in France; the 
defection and return to Chad from Sudan of some 100-odd 
fighters and other dissidents from Adouma Hassaballah's UFCD 
armed rebel group; and the elevation of his own position by 
law to a constitutional level, following a  National Assembly 
vote November 26 to institutionalize the office of "Mediator 
of the Republic," with powers broadened to include "domestic" 
as well as "foreign" responsibilities in conflict resolution 
and mitigation. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  The creation of the office of "Mediator of the 
Republic" with expanded powers and responsibilities 
recognizes the incumbent's successful tenure and demonstrates 
the GOC's commitment to resolving internal as well as 
external conflicts among Chadians. The return of Nahor's DPF 
and part of Hassaballah's UFCD group from the rebellion is in 
itself good news.  The amnesty of Soubiane and others shows 
the GOC's willingness and ability to reconcile with all but 
the most intransigent and hardline of Chad's armed rebels and 
regime opponents. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Despite evident success, including responsiveness 
to USG policy demarches to the GOC since February 2008 (and 
before), "intra-Chadian diplomacy" has its critics, who 
allege various deficiencies.  We disagree and these most 
recent examples of the effectiveness of the GOC's strategy 
bear us out.  We continue to believe that intra-Chadian 
diplomacy has its own rules and protocols, rooted in Chad's 
distinct, indigenous political culture, whose dynamics are 
different from classic Western-style diplomacy.  The notion 
that intra-Chadian diplomacy as practiced by the National 
Mediator and others in the Deby regime is not a valid method 
for reaching out to armed rebels and regime opponents ignores 
the dynamics of Chadian political culture and the realities 
of the GOC's success in reducing the virulence of the Chad 
rebellion over the past 18 months.  END SUMMARY AND COMMENT 
 
----------------- 
DR. NAHOR RETURNS 
----------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  National Mediator Abderamane Moussa told the 
Ambassador December 14 about the return the previous day of 
former regime opponent Dr. Mahamout Nahor Ngawara, head of 
the dissident (and sometimes armed) Democratic Popular Front 
party to Chad.  Nahor, reconciled with the GOC after 12 years 
in self-imposed exile in France, crossed into Chad from 
Cameroon December 13 along with a dozen or so of his senior 
staff.  He was welcomed by Saleh Maki, the number two of the 
National Mediator's office.  Dr. Nahor, a prominent physician 
and former political ally of President Deby, met with Deby in 
Paris in July. 
 
------------------------- 
SOUBIANE ET AL. AMNESTIED 
------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  The National Mediator also called the Ambassador's 
attention to the recent decree granting amnesty to former 
armed rebel chief Ahmat Soubiane and other former rebels and 
regime opponents, citing it as an example of the effective 
 
NDJAMENA 00000602  002 OF 003 
 
 
functioning of the GOC's efforts toward complete "National 
Reconciliation," including legal guarantees for reconciled 
groups and individuals. 
 
-------------------- 
UFCD FIGHTERS DEFECT 
-------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  The National Mediator described as well how on 
December 13, in Abeche, some 104 fighters and other 
dissidents from Adouma Hassaballah's UFCD armed rebel group 
defected and returned to Chad to be integrated into the 
Chadian Armed Forces.  The ex-UFCD fighter were led back to 
Chad by former Hassaballah lieutenant Abderahim Ibrahim 
Bachar and welcomed by Ouaddai Region Governor Kedellah 
Younous Hamid.  The defection was negotiated by the local 
"Reconciliation and Awareness Commission," headed by the 
regional leader of President Deby's MPS majority party 
coalition and by the Sultan of Dar Ouaddai. 
 
---------------------------------- 
"MEDIATOR OF THE REPUBLIC" CREATED 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  Finally, the National Mediator (rather proudly) 
recounted how on 26 November the National Assembly had passed 
into law the elevation of the office of the National Mediator 
to a constitutional level by creating the office of "Mediator 
of the Republic," with powers broadened to include a wide 
range of "domestic" as well as "foreign" responsibilities. 
The constitutionally-reinforced office will continue to be 
occupied by Abderahmane himself. The new Mediator of the 
Republic is charged "to respond to the need for dialogue and 
understanding" by "receiving complaints regarding the 
functioning of state administrations, decentralized 
territorial collectivities public establishments and any 
other organ of public service."  The National Mediator can 
"assist citizens regarding their civic rights and civic 
responsibilities; help to resolve disputes between state 
agencies and the citizens they serve; advise the Prime 
Minister regarding legislative, regulatory, and 
administrative measures; and participate in efforts to 
improve public services and all efforts toward reconciliation 
between the state and professional and social forces." 
 
----------------------- 
INTRA-CHADIAN DIPLOMACY 
AND ITS CRITICS 
----------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  "No good deed goes unpunished," as the saying has 
it.  Despite evident success and despite responsiveness to 
USG policy demarches to the GOC since February 2008 (and 
before), "intra-Chadian diplomacy" has its critics, who 
allege that deficiencies undercut its effectiveness and 
legitimacy as a tool of statecraft.  Some object to the cost. 
 If the money runs out, gains made by intra-Chadian diplomacy 
may be put at risk, the reasoning goes.  And even if the 
money does not run out, spending on "buying rebels back" 
forms part of Chad's "security budget" and could be better 
saved or spent on other things.   Others object on broader 
grounds, charging that "intra-Chadian diplomacy" is 
inefficient, because in practice it can be abused, both by 
authentic rebels and by non-rebels.  Authentic rebels can 
exploit the revolving-door nature of the process by returning 
to Chad for one pay-offs, then going back to Sudan and 
returning again for more, and so on.  Non-rebels can become 
"rebels for day" to cash in on the financial benefits rebels 
are offered. Others focus on Chad's precarious 
public-finances and worry that "buying back" rebels will have 
a negative impact on the GOC's relations with the IFIs. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
 
NDJAMENA 00000602  003 OF 003 
 
 
¶9.  (SBU) The creation of the office of "Mediator of the 
Republic" with expanded powers and responsibilities 
recognizes the incumbent's successful tenure and demonstrates 
the GOC's commitment to resolving internal as well as 
external conflicts among Chadians. The return of Nahor's DPF 
and part of Hassaballah's UFCD group from the rebellion is in 
itself good news.  The amnesty of Soubiane and others shows 
the GOC's willingness and ability to reconcile with all but 
the most intransigent and hardline of Chad's armed rebels and 
regime opponents. 
 
¶10.  (SBU)  Despite evident success, including responsiveness 
to USG policy demarches to the GOC since February 2008 (and 
before), "intra-Chadian diplomacy" has its critics, who 
allege various deficiencies.  We disagree and these most 
recent examples of the effectiveness of the GOC strategy bear 
us out.  We continue to believe that intra-Chadian diplomacy 
has its own rules and protocols, rooted in Chad's distinct, 
indigenous political culture, whose dynamics are different 
from classic Western-style diplomacy.  The notion that 
intra-Chadian diplomacy as practiced by the National Mediator 
and others in the Deby regime is not a valid method for 
reaching out to armed rebels and regime opponents ignores the 
dynamics of Chadian political culture and the realities of 
the GOC's success in reducing the virulence of the Chad 
rebellion over the past 18 months.  END COMMENT. 
 
¶11.  (U) Minimize considered. 
 
NIGRO