Analysis: Chad: A Turn Toward the Bad
Council on Foreign Relations
April 24, 2006
Author: Michael Moran
There are few places as inherently incapable of dealing with crises as Chad, a parched, landlocked Saharan republic whose neighbors include such pillars of stability as Niger, Libya, and Sudan. Now, along with crushing poverty, official corruption and a refugee crisis from the neighboring Sudanese region of Darfur, Chad is under pressure from rebels it alleges are backed by Khartoum, as well as the World Bank, which says scarce funds are being siphoned off a newly opened oil pipeline funded by international credits.
Given all this, one might wonder why anyone would want to be president of the place. Yet, on May 3, Chad's incumbent President Idriss Déby will stand in elections for a third five-year term as the country's leader. At least four other candidates are running, though Déby is heavily favored.
Whoever wins faces serious troubles. Two weeks ago, armed rebels attacked the capital city, N'Djamena, in an unsuccessful coup attempt that Déby blamed immediately on Sudan (LAT). U.S. officials says reports that Sudan was behind the attacks are "very troubling" (Star of Lebanon). Others say the unrest is more complicated (BBC), caused in part by internal Chadian unhappiness with Déby's decision to try to hold on to power.
Read the rest of this article on the cfr.org website.
Copyright 2006 by the Council on Foreign Relations. This material is republished on GlobalSecurity.org with specific permission from the cfr.org. Reprint and republication queries for this article should be directed to cfr.org.
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