Washington, D.C. — With all eyes on the horrifying genocide in Darfur, we must not ignore the growing instability next door in neighboring Chad, where the government is on the brink of complete collapse. The situation in Chad has serious implications for Darfur and beyond, so it is essential that the United States becomes fully engaged in efforts to end the violence in Chad and establish conditions for stability throughout the region.
A former French colony with recently discovered oil, Chad has been subject to years of internal and external conflict since achieving independence in 1960. It ranks among the most corrupt countries in the world. Chad's President, Idriss Deby, has failed to establish social services, a road network, or governmental institutions capable of governing a country three times the size of California. Although Deby maintains control over portions of Chad, rebels opposed to his government have been gaining in strength.
Darfur has compounded Chad's problems; the country's historically impoverished eastern region is being further strained by an influx of over 200,000 Darfurian refugees. Two weeks ago, the Sudanese army bombed several of these camps, prompting the UN to propose moving the twelve border camps deeper into Chad.
More recently, ethnic clashes near the border left more than two hundred civilians dead and nine villages looted in violence that mirrors the tactics and ethnic elements of the conflict in Darfur, but whose attackers and victims are all Chadian. Meanwhile, thousands of innocent Chadian civilians are being displaced by bloody inter-communal conflict in the south.
President Deby recently acknowledged his inability to address this violence, declared a state of emergency, and explicitly called for an international intervention to help secure this unstable region. There are three specific things the U.S. and international community must do.
First, the international community must provide robust support for a rapid deployment of an African-led international peacekeeping force to eastern Chad that could improve regional stability by limiting the flow of arms and soldiers between Chad and Sudan, which has been fueling military and political clashes within and between the two countries. The African Union (AU) currently has a small (less than 10 person) observation team near the Sudanese border that could help pave the way for follow-on forces under an AU or UN structure. UN Security Council Resolution 1706 provides a partial framework for such a force.
Second, Chad's humanitarian crisis, which is closely tied to civilian needs in Darfur, is being compounded by poor coordination among UN agencies, foreign and local NGOs, and the international donor community. To address this problem, a senior UN official should be appointed to direct all international humanitarian activity on both sides of Chad's eastern border, including Darfur. Dealing with Darfur and Chad separately is counterproductive; so too is dividing up responsibility for refugees and displaced persons among UN agencies. The humanitarian problem will get worse before it gets better and providing for the needs of these vulnerable populations will be essential to attaining a sustainable peace in the region.
Finally, to improve the prospect of long-term stability and prosperity in Chad, the United States should call upon regional governments, oil companies, and international organizations to use their leverage to convince President Deby to set his country on a path towards transparent and credible government. Chad's problems can only be resolved by addressing the underlying conditions and causes of instability. Similarly, conflicts in neighboring countries will continue to simmer and spread unless Chad is stabilized – including the genocide in Darfur and recent attacks in the Central African Republic by armed fighters from Sudan.
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While U.S. attention to Darfur is important, we must take a more comprehensive approach to resolving the challenges in this volatile region. Instability in Chad isn't new, but, given the rapid pace of deterioration and potential impact on peace efforts in Darfur and the rest of the region, urgent action is needed. The current national and international presence in Chad is not equipped to handle the looming instability there. Both to stop the spread of violence in the short term, and to foster peace in the region in the long run, the U.S. has a real and vested interest in bringing Chad back from the brink.
Senator Russ Feingold (Democrat - Wisconsin) is the incoming chair of the Africa Subcommittee of the Foreign Relations Committee of the United States Senate.
