Mediation of the Chadian-Sudanese conflict
Encyclopedia
Mediation of the Chadian-Sudanese conflict
began shortly after the government of Chad
declared an "état de belligérance", or 'state of belligerency' with Sudan
. on December 23, 2005. The BBC
translated "belligérance" as "war".
The Chadian government called for the citizens of Chad
to mobilize themselves against the "common enemy", referring to militant members of the Rally for Democracy and Liberty
and Platform for Change, Unity and Democracy
(SCUD) rebel groups — Chadian rebels, allegedly backed by the Sudan
ese government — and Sudanese Janjaweed
militia
men who have crossed over from Sudan while pursuing Fur refugees
. The RDL denied they were receiving support from the Sudanese government. Between December 26 and December 28 RDL and SCUD joined with six other rebel groups to form the United Front for Democratic Change
rebel alliance, led by Mohammed Nour
.
Sudan
has suggested that the two countries use joint border patrols, just as they previously did in 2003 to prevent attacks from Chad by Fur rebel groups into Sudan, to prevent future attacks, but Chad has thus far refused. Déby accuses Sudan of stationing 50 armored vehicles in the Sudanese town of Geneina
near the Chad-Sudan border to launch further attacks into Chad.
On January 19, Sudanese authorities arrested Abdelwahit About
, the former head of FIDEL and current commander within FUC, along with 19-20 other rebels depending on reports, after About gave an interview on Sudanese radio stating that he was in Khartoum
and that FUC has friendly ties with the Sudanese government.
"I think he was arrested because he had given an interview with a journalist and they discovered he was in Khartoum," RDL spokesman Abdel Karim said. Karim also stated that FUC requests a meeting with the AU. The AU did not comment.
has sent delegates to both nations. The delegation to Sudan is headed by Baba Gana Kingibe
. The Chadian Foreign Ministry told the Sudanese ambassador to Chad to "cease all aggression against Chad."
On December 30 Nigeria
n President and then African Union chairman Olusegun Obasanjo suggested a five-way, one-day summit grouping the leaders of Egypt, Libya
, Chad, Sudan and Nigeria to solve the conflict and Egypt proposed the location and date of the summit as Tripoli
on January 4, 2006, but this summit has been postponed. The meeting would have discussed the AU committee report on the differences between Chad's account of the attack on Adré and Sudan's.
Security Council
issued a statement condemning the attacks on Adré and supporting the mediation of the African Union, "It [United Nations Security Council] firmly condemned, in that context, recent attacks perpetrated by armed elements within Chad and, in particular, the attack on 19 December on positions of the Chadian national army in the town of Adré, and supported efforts to reduce tensions on the border... The Security Council also appeals to donors to continue both supporting the crucial work of AMIS in stemming the violence in this suffering region and providing critical humanitarian assistance to millions of war-afflicted civilians in Darfur and across the border in Chad.".
Keith McKenzie
, UNICEF's special representative to Darfur, told reporters that "Darfur is complicated enough without the Chadians getting involved."
Almost 200 United Nations aid workers left two humanitarian bases in Guereda
in eastern Chad on 2006-01-22, after a meeting between UN officials and local government officials who were being briefed on the status of the 200,000 Sudanese refugees in Chad was forcibly ended by up to 100 armed men of unknown, but most likely Janjaweed, affiliation. Five Chadian government officials including the top government official of Guereda and the head of the local branch of the military police were kidnapped, jeeps belonging to two aid groups were stolen, and five local residents suffered gunshot wounds. One of the jeeps was later seen crossing into Sudan.
Chadian government spokesman Doumgor told reporters on January 23 that Chadian authorities did not know who was behind the latest attack, and that kidnappers have made no demands for ransom
.
"We've had no contact from them at the moment, but the Chadian army is fanning out in the area to try and find them."
There will be a 20% reduction in humanitarian staff in eastern Chad with 90 UN and other aid agencies workers evacuated from Guereda and 80 workers from Iriba
to regional headquarters in Abeche
.
Claire Bourgeois, UNHCR deputy representative in Chad, said, "The situation is serious enough at this stage, especially when taking into account the number of security incidents in the past days... This measure is temporary. We have kept enough staff in field offices to continue delivering services to the refugees living around Guereda and Iriba. Two NGO vehicles were reported stolen in the past four days and other partners have also been victims of robbery."
, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu
, called for an end to hostilities between the two nations and announced support for the African Union
's attempt to mediate.
ian Foreign Minister
Ahmed Aboul Gheit
began an attempt to mediate the dispute between the two countries by speaking to Ahmad Allam-Mi and to the foreign minister of Sudan, Lam Akol
. In an interview with Radio Cairo, Minister Gheit said that "Egypt is holding contacts with the United Nations
in this respect as well to reach coordination with some of the regional parties and to contain the situation."
Deputy Secretary of State
Robert Zoellick
on January 10. United States State Department spokesman Justin Higgins stated, "The deputy secretary underscored that the situation is very dangerous and expressed concern about displaced persons on both sides of the border. He [Zoellick] noted that the conflict between the parties runs the risk of endangering civilians, refugees, and internally displaced persons."
An anonymous State Department official said Zoellick was "firm and clear that Chad needed to work with Sudan to resolve this."
Chadian-Sudanese conflict
The civil war in Chad began in December 2005. Since its independence from France in 1960, Chad has been swamped by the civil war between the Arab-Muslims of the north and the Sub-Saharan-Christians of the south. As a result, leadership and presidency in Chad drifted back and forth between the...
began shortly after the government of Chad
Government of Chad
The Government of Chad has been ruled and controlled by Idriss Déby and his Patriotic Salvation Movement since December 2, 1990, and officially since February 28, 1991. An amendment to the Constitution of Chad, passed in 2005, allowed Déby to run for his next term which will be his third...
declared an "état de belligérance", or 'state of belligerency' with Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
. on December 23, 2005. The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
translated "belligérance" as "war".
The Chadian government called for the citizens of Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
to mobilize themselves against the "common enemy", referring to militant members of the Rally for Democracy and Liberty
Rally for Democracy and Liberty
The Rally for Democracy and Liberty, abbreviated as R.D.L. is a Chadian rebel group that was formed in August of 2005 by former members of the Military of Chad who deserted and united under their founder and current leader, Mohammed Nour...
and Platform for Change, Unity and Democracy
Platform for Change, Unity and Democracy
Platform for Change, Unity and Democracy, abbreviated as S.C.U.D. , is a Chadian rebel group that was formed in October of 2005 by former members of the Military of Chad who deserted and united under founders and current leaders, 30-year old Yaya Dillo Djérou and his brother...
(SCUD) rebel groups — Chadian rebels, allegedly backed by the Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
ese government — and Sudanese Janjaweed
Janjaweed
The Janjaweed is a blanket term used to describe mostly gunmen in Darfur, western Sudan, and now eastern Chad...
militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
men who have crossed over from Sudan while pursuing Fur refugees
Fur people
The Fur are an ethnic group from western Sudan, principally inhabiting the region of Darfur where they are the largest tribe....
. The RDL denied they were receiving support from the Sudanese government. Between December 26 and December 28 RDL and SCUD joined with six other rebel groups to form the United Front for Democratic Change
United Front for Democratic Change
The United Front for Democratic Change or Front uni pour le changement is a Chadian rebel alliance, made up of eight individual rebel groups, all with the goals of overthrowing the government of current Chadian President. It is now part of the Union of Forces for Democracy and Development. UFDC...
rebel alliance, led by Mohammed Nour
Mohammed Nour Abdelkerim
Mohammed Nour Abdelkerim is a former Chadian rebel leader. After signing a peace agreement with the government, he served as Minister of Defense for nine months in 2007....
.
Sudan
"We are very surprised by this. All the channels of communications are open between our two countries. We don't know why they are moving out of the bilateral relations to make these ... threatening statements. We will not let anyone use Sudanese soil to launch attacks against a neighbouring country," said Sudanese State Minister of Foreign Affairs Al-Samani Wasiylah.Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
has suggested that the two countries use joint border patrols, just as they previously did in 2003 to prevent attacks from Chad by Fur rebel groups into Sudan, to prevent future attacks, but Chad has thus far refused. Déby accuses Sudan of stationing 50 armored vehicles in the Sudanese town of Geneina
Geneina
Geneina is the capital of West Darfur state in Sudan....
near the Chad-Sudan border to launch further attacks into Chad.
On January 19, Sudanese authorities arrested Abdelwahit About
Abdelwahit About
Abdelwahid Aboud Mackaye is a Chadian insurgent leader involved in the war to topple the Chadian President Idriss Déby. Originally a fighter in the Democratic Revolutionary Council militia during the first Chadian Civil War, under Déby he became a civil servant before defecting to the rebels in...
, the former head of FIDEL and current commander within FUC, along with 19-20 other rebels depending on reports, after About gave an interview on Sudanese radio stating that he was in Khartoum
Khartoum
Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
and that FUC has friendly ties with the Sudanese government.
"I think he was arrested because he had given an interview with a journalist and they discovered he was in Khartoum," RDL spokesman Abdel Karim said. Karim also stated that FUC requests a meeting with the AU. The AU did not comment.
African Union
The AUAfrican Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
has sent delegates to both nations. The delegation to Sudan is headed by Baba Gana Kingibe
Baba Gana Kingibe
Baba Gana Kingibe is a Nigerian politician and political appointee havening held many high-level Nigerian governmental posts. He hails from Borno State in the northeastern part of Nigeria, and is of Kanuri extraction.Amb...
. The Chadian Foreign Ministry told the Sudanese ambassador to Chad to "cease all aggression against Chad."
On December 30 Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n President and then African Union chairman Olusegun Obasanjo suggested a five-way, one-day summit grouping the leaders of Egypt, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, Chad, Sudan and Nigeria to solve the conflict and Egypt proposed the location and date of the summit as Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
on January 4, 2006, but this summit has been postponed. The meeting would have discussed the AU committee report on the differences between Chad's account of the attack on Adré and Sudan's.
United Nations
The United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
issued a statement condemning the attacks on Adré and supporting the mediation of the African Union, "It [United Nations Security Council] firmly condemned, in that context, recent attacks perpetrated by armed elements within Chad and, in particular, the attack on 19 December on positions of the Chadian national army in the town of Adré, and supported efforts to reduce tensions on the border... The Security Council also appeals to donors to continue both supporting the crucial work of AMIS in stemming the violence in this suffering region and providing critical humanitarian assistance to millions of war-afflicted civilians in Darfur and across the border in Chad.".
Keith McKenzie
Keith McKenzie
Keith McKenzie is a former Australian rules footballer who played for North Melbourne in the Victorian Football League . He won the Syd Barker Medal, awarded to North Melbourne's best and fairest player for the season, in his third year at the club and went on to represent Victoria five times...
, UNICEF's special representative to Darfur, told reporters that "Darfur is complicated enough without the Chadians getting involved."
Almost 200 United Nations aid workers left two humanitarian bases in Guereda
Guéréda
Guéréda is a town in the Wadi Fira Region, Chad. It is located at around .Guéréda was the site of fighting between the Chadian army and the Rally of Democratic Forces in early December 2006. On December 1, eleven people were killed and 82 injured in the fighting...
in eastern Chad on 2006-01-22, after a meeting between UN officials and local government officials who were being briefed on the status of the 200,000 Sudanese refugees in Chad was forcibly ended by up to 100 armed men of unknown, but most likely Janjaweed, affiliation. Five Chadian government officials including the top government official of Guereda and the head of the local branch of the military police were kidnapped, jeeps belonging to two aid groups were stolen, and five local residents suffered gunshot wounds. One of the jeeps was later seen crossing into Sudan.
Chadian government spokesman Doumgor told reporters on January 23 that Chadian authorities did not know who was behind the latest attack, and that kidnappers have made no demands for ransom
Ransom
Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or it can refer to the sum of money involved.In an early German law, a similar concept was called bad influence...
.
"We've had no contact from them at the moment, but the Chadian army is fanning out in the area to try and find them."
There will be a 20% reduction in humanitarian staff in eastern Chad with 90 UN and other aid agencies workers evacuated from Guereda and 80 workers from Iriba
Iriba
Iriba is a town in the Wadi Fira Region, Chad. It is located at around . The town is served by Iriba Airport....
to regional headquarters in Abeche
Abéché
-Demographics:Demographic evolution:-References:...
.
Claire Bourgeois, UNHCR deputy representative in Chad, said, "The situation is serious enough at this stage, especially when taking into account the number of security incidents in the past days... This measure is temporary. We have kept enough staff in field offices to continue delivering services to the refugees living around Guereda and Iriba. Two NGO vehicles were reported stolen in the past four days and other partners have also been victims of robbery."
Organisation of the Islamic Conference
On December 25, the Secretary General of the Organisation of the Islamic ConferenceOrganisation of the Islamic Conference
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Upon the groups's renaming, some sources provided the English-language translation "Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation", but and have since indicated the preferred English translation omits the "the". is an international organisation consisting of 57...
, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu
Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu is a Turkish academic, diplomat and currently the Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , the second largest intergovernmental organisation after the United Nations...
, called for an end to hostilities between the two nations and announced support for the African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
's attempt to mediate.
Egypt
On December 26, EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian Foreign Minister
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
Ahmed Aboul Gheit
Ahmed Aboul Gheit
Ahmed Aboul-Gheit is an Egyptian diplomat who was the Foreign Minister of Egypt from 11 July 2004 to 6 March 2011, since the government of Ahmed Nazif took office. Aboul-Gheit previously served as Egypt's ambassador to the United Nations. In December 2005 he began mediating the Chad-Sudan conflict...
began an attempt to mediate the dispute between the two countries by speaking to Ahmad Allam-Mi and to the foreign minister of Sudan, Lam Akol
Lam Akol
Dr. Lam Akol Ajawin is a South Sudanese politician of Kenyan descent. He is the current leader of SPLM for Democratic Change , which he founded 6 June 2009...
. In an interview with Radio Cairo, Minister Gheit said that "Egypt is holding contacts with the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
in this respect as well to reach coordination with some of the regional parties and to contain the situation."
United States
Chadian Minister Allami met with USUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Deputy Secretary of State
United States Deputy Secretary of State
The Deputy Secretary of State of the United States is the chief assistant to the Secretary of State. If the Secretary of State resigns or dies, the Deputy Secretary of State becomes Acting Secretary of State until the President nominates and the Senate confirms a replacement. The position was...
Robert Zoellick
Robert Zoellick
Robert Bruce Zoellick is the eleventh president of the World Bank, a position he has held since July 1, 2007. He was previously a managing director of Goldman Sachs, United States Deputy Secretary of State and U.S. Trade Representative, from February 7, 2001 until February 22, 2005.President...
on January 10. United States State Department spokesman Justin Higgins stated, "The deputy secretary underscored that the situation is very dangerous and expressed concern about displaced persons on both sides of the border. He [Zoellick] noted that the conflict between the parties runs the risk of endangering civilians, refugees, and internally displaced persons."
An anonymous State Department official said Zoellick was "firm and clear that Chad needed to work with Sudan to resolve this."