Foreign relations of Chad

The Foreign relations of Chad are motivated primarily by the desire for outside investment in Chadian industry and support for Chadian President Idriss Déby. Chad is officially non-aligned but has close relations with France, the former colonial power. Relations with neighbouring Libya and Sudan vary periodically. Lately, the Idris Déby regime has been waging an intermittent proxy war with Sudan. Other for those two countries, Chad generally has good relations with the other neighboring countries.

Relations with African and Middle Eastern countries

Although relations with Libya improved with the presidency of Idriss Déby, strains persist. Chad has been an active champion of regional cooperation through the Central African Economic and Customs Union, the Lake Chad and Niger River Basin Commissions, and the Interstate Commission for the Fight Against the Drought in the Sahel.

Delimitation of international boundaries in the vicinity of Lake Chad, the lack of which led to border incidents in the past, has been completed and awaits ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria.

Despite centuries-old cultural ties to Arab North Africa, Chad maintained few significant ties to North African or Middle Eastern states in the 1980s. (Chad has not recognized the State of Israel since former Chadian President François (Ngarta) Tombalbaye broke off relations in September 1972.) President Habré hoped to pursue greater solidarity with Arab nations in the future, however, viewing closer relations with Arab states as a potential opportunity to break out of his nation's postcolonial dependence and assert Chad's unwillingness to serve as an arena for superpower rivalries. In addition, as a northern Muslim, Habré represented a constituency that favored Afro-Arab solidarity, and he hoped Islam would provide a basis for national unity in the long term. For these reasons, he was expected to seize opportunities during the 1990s to pursue closer ties with Arab nations. In 1988, Chad recognized the State of Palestine, which maintains a mission in N'Djamena.

During the 1980s, several Arab states had supported Libyan claims to the Aozou Strip. Algeria was among the most outspoken of these states and provided training for anti-Habré forces, although most recruits for its training programs were from Nigeria or Cameroon, recruited and flown to Algeria by Libya. By the end of 1987, Algiers and N'Djamena were negotiating to improve relations. Lebanon's Progressive Socialist Party also sent troops to support Qadhafi's efforts against Chad in 1987, but other Arab states and the League of Arab States (Arab League) limited their involvement to expressions of hope that the dispute over the Aozou Strip could be settled peacefully.

Sudan

On December 24, 2005, Chad declared itself as in a "state of belligerance" with neighboring Sudan. The conflict in the border region of Darfur has become an increasingly bi-national affair as increasing numbers of Sudanese flee to refugee camps in Chad, and Sudanese government troops and militias cross the borders to strike at both these camps and specific ethnic groups. Although the Government of Chad and the Government of Sudan signed the Tripoli Agreement on February 8, 2006, officially ending hostilities, fighting continues. On 11 August, 2006, Chad and Sudan resumed relations at the behest of Libyan president Muammar al-Gaddafi. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4775111.stm] "See also:" Battle of Amdjereme

Chad broke diplomatic relations with Sudan at least twice in 2006 because it believed the Sudanese government was supporting Janjaweed and UFDC rebels financially and with arms. Two accords were signed, the Tripoli Accord, which was signed on February 8 and failed to end the fighting, and the more recently signed N'Djamena Agreement. On May 11, 2008 Sudan announced it was cutting diplomatic relations with Chad, claiming that it was helping rebels in Darfur to attack the Sudanese capital Khartoum [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7394422.stm Sudan cuts Chad ties over attack] ] .

Libya

Nigeria

Relations with Western countries

Chad is officially non-aligned but has close relations with France, the former colonial power, which has about 1,200 troops stationed in the capital N'Djamena. It receives economic aid from countries of the European Community, the United States, and various international organizations. Libya supplies aid and has an ambassador resident in N'Djamena. Traditionally strong ties with the Western community have weakened over the past two years due to a dispute between the Government of Chad and the World Bank over how the profits from Chad's petroleum reserves are allocated. Although oil output to the West has resumed and the dispute has officially been resolved, resentment towards, what the Déby administration considered, foreign meddling lingers.

France

United States

Relations with Asian countries

Chad and the Republic of China (Taiwan) had relations from 1962 to 1972 and 1997 to 2006 when, for financial and security reasons, Chad announced its intention to recognize the People's Republic of China. Taiwan broke off relations with Chad on August 5, 2006 (hours before a scheduled official visit by Premier Su Tseng-chang) and Chad formally recognized the PRC on August 6. [http://www.cna.com.tw/eng/topread.php?id=200608060023]

Membership of international organizations

Chad belongs to the following international organizations:

* UN and some of its specialized and related agencies
* Organization for African Unity
* Central African Customs and Economic Union (UDEAC)
* African Financial Community (Franc Zone)
* Agency for the Francophone Community
* African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States
* African Development Bank
* Central African States Development Bank
* Economic and Monetary Union of Central African (CEMAC)
* Economic Commission for Africa; G-77
* International Civil Aviation Organization
* International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
* International Development Association
* Islamic Development Bank
* International Fund for Agricultural Development
* International Finance Corporation
* International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
* International Labour Organization
* International Monetary Fund
* Intelsat
* Interpol
* International Olympic Committee
* International Telecommunication Union
* International Trade Union Confederation
* NAM; Organisation of the Islamic Conference
* Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
* Universal Postal Union
* World Confederation of Labour
* World Intellectual Property Organization;
* World Meteorological Organization;
* World Tourism Organization
* World Trade Organization

Diplomatic missions in Chad

At present, the capital city of N'Djamena hosts 17 embassies, including those of the United States, Egypt, Algeria, Iraq, Sudan, Germany, the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Cameroon, and the European Union. A number of other countries have nonresident ambassadors.

Diplomatic missions of Chad

Chad maintains embassies in 25 states.

References

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