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Chad: There And About - Rebels Issue Empty Threats
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The Nation (Nairobi)
3 December 2007
Posted to the web 3 December 2007
Chege Mbitiru
Nairobi
A rebel group in Chad claimed dubious status last week. The Union of Forces for Democracy and Development declared war on French troops, thus France.
That's going to be quite an act, in an interesting play, but it isn't the issue.
The UFDD flavoured its war declaration with correct phraseology: "Providing diplomatic, strategic logistical support to the tyrant Idriss Deby is an act of hostility and will be treated as such," Reuters reported the faction as saying last Friday.
Mr Deby has governed-Hah!-the African nation for 17 years, always "consulting my people" et cetera.
The declaration said UFDD "considers itself to be at war against the French army, or against any other foreign forces in the national territory." The half of that statement is a reference to a proposed European Force in eastern Chad.
War plans include attacking supply lines, better depots, greatest, sources. It would seem the UFDD plans to make people uncomfortable, a la Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda, ways beyond N'Djamena, Chad's capital.
Media reports indicate that at the time of the declaration the rebels licked wounds and, seemingly, were displaying post-battle morale.
France maintains troops in Chad as part of a defence pact.
Such agreements allow contracting parties to help each other in the event of external aggressors.
The previous week, the UFDD accused the Chadian government of failing to abide by a ceasefire agreed on October 25 in Sirte, Libya. Among other issues, the deal provided for rebels' integration into the Chadian army.
Apparently, the rebels decided to integrate themselves. They organised a convoy-incidentally of vehicles that drink a liquid lethal to camels-towards Abeche, the largest Chadian town from Sudan's borders the now infamous Darfur region.
Chadian authorities announced their victory-hundreds UFDD fighters killed, 50 vehicles destroyed and another 40 captured. If the vehicles carried relief food for nearly 400,000 internally displaced Chadians and Darfurian refugees, nobody is talking about it. The rebels claimed victories, also.
Pointed fingers
Anyway, the convoy halted. The rebels pointed fingers.
French airplanes, including helicopters, flew over "our territory." Were the French and Mr Deby to try to tell lies, they wouldn't include "The pilots just made photos." The French acted in accordance with the defence pact, the rights or wrongs of it aside. A dispute as to where the rebels came from doesn't exist. Rightly, Chadian Foreign Minister Ahmat Allami blamed Sudan.
The rebels said Sudan had given them an ultimatum to leave, presumably graciously provided "ration." If the past is any guide, Mr Deby may also have provided some "Sudanese undesirables" ration on the way home. Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir's "unwelcome Chadians" only headed home first. The EU wants to end the tragic farce.
The EU's 3,700 force, according to Reuters, was to be deployed last month.
The news agency reported French General Henri Bentegeat, EU's Military Committee head, as saying the force lacks 10 helicopters, a third medical facility, et cetera.
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There's also talk in Brussels that Britain and France can't agree from which compartment of the till the money should come from. Well, hating whatever the other does seems to be their national pastime. A plausible reason for further delays in deploying the EU force is body bags homeward. In all fairness, why should a Finnish kid die in the Chadian desert? Money people and Mr Deby don't have a problem with that. At least $10 billion worth of Black Gold in the next five years, for now, lie under the sand.
The late Ethiopian Emperor Haile Sellasie, not a very enlightened fellow, would mumble to any kid an explanation like something he once reportedly did: "Today is our turn, tomorrow is yours," which came, went and returns.
Any well-organised military contingent shouldn't have problems containing the rebels, their braggadocio and all. However, the problem will remain. That's getting Mr Deby and Mr el-Bashir to clean their backyards. Those who can do that know themselves.
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