Turmoil in Chad

 

Parliament’s resolution on Chad, adopted by 50 votes to 1, with 5 abstentions, highlights the scale of the problems facing the country, with internal political unrest as well as a huge influx of refugees from neighbouring countries. MEPs call for dialogue between the government and rebel groups and urge the international community to boost its aid to Chad.

 

There are more than 250,000 Sudanese refugees in eastern Chad, over 57,000 refugees from the Central African Republic and 180,000 internally displaced persons. The government faces rebel groups (one of which briefly penetrated the capital, N’Djamena, in February) but has itself been accused of widespread human rights abuses.

 

Persecution of opposition condemned

 

Today’s resolution condemns the persecution and arbitrary arrest of opposition politicians and journalists. It calls on the Chadian Government to clarify the situation of any who are still being detained and highlights the case of opposition leader Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh, who was arrested on 3 February 2008 and has not been heard of since.

 

Although crises in neighbouring Darfur (Sudan) and the Central African Republic have had a huge impact on Chad, with large numbers of refugees spilling over the borders, the EP “denounces any attempt by the Chadian Government to use Sudan and Darfur as a smokescreen for hiding political dissent within Chad”.

 

Inclusive approach the best solution to political impasse

 

It “stresses the need for politics in Chad to become more ethnically and geographically representative”, argues that “no lasting solution can be found without a genuine process of national reconciliation and of global dialogue” and “reaffirms that a real and comprehensive, all-inclusive inter-Chadian dialogue must be convened as soon as possible”, “bringing the rebel groups into the political process”.

 

The EP acknowledges the usefulness of the UN-approved EUFOR TCHAD/RCA military mission for guaranteeing the safety of camps for refugees and displaced persons and of humanitarian organisations. However it “regrets that, in terms of troop composition, EUFOR does not sufficiently reflect the diversity of the European Union, and calls on the Member States which have not yet done so to contribute to providing the necessary troops and materiel so as to guarantee its European identity”.

 

More aid needed from international community

 

Turing to the increasingly serious humanitarian and security situation in Chad, Parliament “calls on the international community to scale up its aid to meet the 2008 Humanitarian Appeal for Chad” and “stresses that donor contributions are urgently required to ensure that purchases are completed in the coming months so that food reaches eastern Chad on time”.

 

Lastly, Parliament calls for human rights violations to be prosecuted and punished in accordance with international human rights law. And it backs the MINURCAT mission tasked with supporting the Chadian courts and prisons systems and with training the ‘Chadian police for humanitarian protection’.