Cablegate: Chad: Border Sitrep
VZCZCXRO5795
RR RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMA RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHROV
DE RUEHNJ #1028/01 2211647
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 091647Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4192
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 1241
RUEHAE/AMEMBASSY ASMARA 0170
RUEHBP/AMEMBASSY BAMAKO 0724
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0300
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1512
RUEHNM/AMEMBASSY NIAMEY 2779
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1921
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI 0285
RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE 1310
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0862
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0801
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NDJAMENA 001028
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR AF, AF/C, AF/SPG, D, DRL, DS/IP/ITA,
DS/IP/AF, H, INR, INR/GGI, PRM, USAID/OTI AND USAID/W FOR
DARFURRMT; LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICAWATCHERS; GENEVA FOR
CAMPBELL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREF ASEC CD SU
SUBJECT: CHAD: BORDER SITREP
NDJAMENA 00001028 001.2 OF 002
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: While the onset of the rainy season has
greatly reduced vehicule movements, Chadian military forces
appear to be beefing up their presence along the eastern
border. On the other side of the border, Chadian rebels are
reported to be reorganizing their leadership structure.
Ethnic tensions in the town of Guereda have caused some
humanitarian organizations in the area to raise concerns of a
possible violent conflict between ethnic groups in the local
communities and refugee camps. Even though NGO groups in
other camps have noted greater cooperation on security
matters with local authorities, they highlight the continued
lack of a strong gendarme presence to protect the refugee
camps. END SUMMARY.
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SECURITY ON THE EASTERN BORDER
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2. (SBU) For the moment, the situation along the Chad-Sudan
border remains calm, but along the Chadian side, there are
indications of re-grouping of Chadian military elements.
UNHCR has recently reported that Chadian troops are arriving
periodically in the eastern town of Abeche in large numbers,
and are immediately seen being deployed to the eastern front.
Field Security officers affiliated with the United Nations
High Commission for Refugees and other Embassy contacts have
also noted the increased troop and military vehicle presence
in the border towns of Tine, Adre, and Tissi. According to
Embassy contacts, President Deby has established a stronger
information-gathering network to keep tabs on the rebel
movement.
3. (SBU) Embassy contacts with links to the rebel movement
have stated that opposition groups continue to try to
re-organize their units to launch another attack, despite the
onset of the rainy season. According to these contacts,
members of the United Force for Change (FUC) movement are
losing confidence in Chadian rebel leader Mahamat Nour. A
contact told Economic/Consular officer on August 3 that
former Chadian Minister of Defense Mahamat Nouri was recently
asked by members of the FUC to be its new leader, on the
grounds that Nouri will be able to lead a more coordinated
rebel effort against the Deby regime.
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TENSE SITUATION IN GUEREDA
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4. (SBU) Humanitarian organizations continue to be extremely
concerned with the level of tensions in the town of Guereda
(sites of the Mile and Kounougou refugee camps) between the
members of the local community, who are mostly of Tama
origin, and members of the refugee community, who are of
Zaghawa and Goran origin. International Medical Corps
Director Fredrick Royce told RSO and Economic/Consular
officer on July 31 that a recent dispute between family
members of Tama and Zaghawa ethnic groups sparked retribution
killings that resulted in the deaths of over 20 Tama
villagers and an unknown number of Zaghawas.
5. (SBU) The situation is complicated by the departure of
the areas' local prefect, and the lack of an authoritative
government presence in the region. UNHCR recently noted that
Tama villagers have been reported to be fleeing Sudan, in
fear of a planned attack by the Zaghawa and Goran groups
targeting the Tama population. UNHCR and other humanitarian
organizations have speculated that Chadian authorities may be
actively allowing this violence to continue by not sending
gendarme elements to deter further violence. During a
meeting with Ambassador Wall in late-July, Haroun
Tchong-Tchong, representative for Guereda in the Chadian
National Assembly, said that while ethnic altercations have
NDJAMENA 00001028 002.2 OF 002
taken place in the past in Guereda, the current level of
violence was disturbing, and was difficult to stop with the
limited number of gendarmes in the area.
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OVERALL REFUGEE CAMP SECURITY
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6. (SBU) Elsewhere, UNHCR and its partner organizations have
indicated that Chadian authorities are becoming more
receptive to their calls for greater gendarme security.
International Rescue Committee Country Director Julie Dargis
told Ambassador Wall on July 26 that following a
hostage-taking of an IRC staff member by local youth in the
Oure Cassoni camp in Bahai, Chadian authorities implemented a
number of measures to improve camp security, including
removing Bahai's Secretary General who was implicated in
instigating the youth in the July 26 incident, and educating
the local population on the humanitarian organization's
activities in the area.
7. (SBU) UNHCR country representative Serge Malle told DCM
on August 3 that Minister of Territorial Administration
Mahamat Ali Abdullah had expressed to Malle a direct concern
for improving refugee camp protection, and was prepared to
participate in a meeting with other humanitarian
organizations operating in eastern Chad to discuss their
security concerns. However, according to Malle, the Minister
admitted that resource constraints negatively impacted the
GOC's ability to protect humanitarian workers in the refugee
camps. Malle pointed out that continued car-jackings of
humanitarian vehicles (totalling 34 following the theft of an
NGO vehicle in Guereda in early July) demonstrated that
Chadian authorities lacked the capacity to protect
humanitarian organization assets in Eastern Chad. If this
trend continued, Malle argued that the international
community needed to take more effective action to ensure that
humanitarian assistance efforts were not impeded by security
constraints.
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COMMENT
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8. (SBU) While GOC authorities are taking some concrete
measures to improve the security situation in refugee camps,
incidents in Guereda and concerns elsewhere continue to
demonstrate the GOC lacks the means and, at least in the case
of Guereda, the will to actively protect humanitarian
activities.
9. (U) Minimize considered.
WALL