Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
N’Djamena (Agenzia Fides)- Fresh outbreaks of inter-community violence forced the government of Chad to declare a 12 day state of emergency in three north east regions: BET (Borkou, Ennedi, Tibesti) in the north, Ouaddai region with the regional capital Abéché the main city in east Chad, and Wadi Fira, where 20 people were killed in clashes between Tama and Zaghawa communities in the district of Dar Tama.
The fighting has caused tension among the national leaders, in fact President Idriss Deby is of Zaghawa ethnic origin, whereas the minister of defence, Mahamat Nour Abdelkerim, head of the former rebel movement, United Front for Change, is of Tama origin. The latter accused the “President's entourage” of provoking the clashes, although he said that between the President and himself, there was “no problem”.
In Chad's political panorama relations between clans and tribes are often the cause of clashes and instability. President Deby was recently threatened by members of his own family clan (see Fides 16/3/2006). Therefore the affirmation of the defence minister who distinguishes between the Head of State and his entourage comes as no surprise. However the same minister is not immune to the problem because, according to international press, the fighting in Wadi Fira started after the desertion of a group of former rebels faithful to Minister Mahamat Nour, who were in the area to be integrated into the regular army. After the clashes the dissidents moved in the direction of the border with Sudan.
In the east Chad borders on the tormented Sudanese region of Darfur, and Chad hosts at least 200,000 refugees from Darfur. The presence of the refugees aggravated the fragile balances in the area where different ethnic groups have fought over control of the scarce resources of water and pasture. The Darfur crisis and the Chad crisis are connected because some ethnic groups live along the common border. In the background of this local tension there are foreign interest for control of oil in Sudan, (some say there is oil also in Darfur) and in Chad.
France, former colonial governor which since independence has been guarantor of external security, has promised an EU mission to protect Darfur refugees in camps in Chad and in the Central African Republic. The European peacekeepers will be deployed on the basis of UN Security Council resolution 1778 approved on 25 September. In east Chad there are 236,000 refugees from Darfur and 173,000 internally displaced Chadians who have fled local violence. In Chad several armed groups, some with bases in Darfur, lead raids on civilians and refugee camps. Despite an agreement reached with Libyan mediation between the government in N’Djamena and 4 rebel movements (see Fides 9/10/2007), the political situation in Chad appears to be seriously fragmented. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 17/10/2007 righe 40 parole 535)
