Youssouf Saleh Abbas

Infobox Prime Minister


name = Youssouf Saleh Abbas
order = Prime Minister of Chad
president = Idriss Déby
term_start = 15 April 2008
predecessor = Delwa Kassiré Koumakoye
birth_date = "c". 1953
birth_place = Abéché, Chad
party =

Youssouf Saleh Abbas (born "c". 1953 [http://www.primature-tchad.org/?view=article&catid=1%3Ajournal&id=70%3Acurriculum-vitae-du-premier-minstre-du-tchad&Itemid=2&option=com_content "Curriculum vitae du Premier Ministre du Tchad"] , Chadian government website, April 24, 2008 fr icon.] ) is a Chadian political figure who has been Prime Minister of Chad since April 2008. He was previously a diplomatic advisor and special representative of President Idriss Déby.

Abbas was born in Abéché [http://apanews.net/apa.php?page=show_article&id_article=61009 "Le nouveau Premier ministre tchadien Youssouf Saleh Abbas"] , African Press Agency, April 17, 2008 fr icon.] in Ouaddai Region, in the east of Chad. [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/fluxafp/fil_info.asp?art_cle=44888 "Tchad: le président Deby nomme un proche conseiller comme Premier ministre"] , AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), April 16, 2008 fr icon.] He studied in the Soviet Union and then in France, earning a master's degree in international law. Back in Chad, he worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as head of the Multilateral Cooperation Division and as Director of International Cooperation from November 20 1979 to January 30 1981. He was then diplomatic advisor to Goukouni Oueddei, the President of the Transitional Government of National Unity (GUNT), from June 1 1981 to December 25 1981 and Director of the Cabinet of the Head of State from December 6 1981 until Oueddei's ouster on June 7 1982.

Later, Abbas was advisor to the Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from November 20 1992 to December 15 1996. He was also Vice-President of the Sovereign National Conference, which was held from January 1993 to April 1993. From December 16 1996 to August 13 1997, he was Director-General of the Ministry of Planning and Cooperation.

Abbas, in opposition to President Déby, joined the Tibesti-based Movement for Democracy and Justice in Chad (MDJT), a rebel group led by Youssouf Togoïmi, when it was formed in October 1998, serving from Paris [http://www.afrique-express.com/archive/CENTRALE/tchad/tchadpol/239mdjt.htm "Un nouveau coordinateur extérieur du MDJT"] , "Afrique Express", N° 239, November 20, 2001 fr icon.] (he lived in exile in France for several years) as the group's External Coordinator. On October 31 2001, he resigned from the MDJT, along with three other members of the MDJT's External Coordination, due to what he described as Togoïmi's "excesses". After an agreement with the government, he returned to Chad. He joined with Déby in 2006 [http://apanews.net/apa.php?page=show_article_eng&id_article=60895 "Chadian president names new Premier"] , African Press Agency, April 16, 2008.] and became Déby's Advisor for International Relations and Cooperation on December 24 2006, as well as Déby's Special Representative to the European Union Force and the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) on November 17 2007. He remained in his posts as Advisor and Special Representative until his appointment as Prime Minister.

On April 15 2008, Déby appointed Abbas as Prime Minister, [http://www.presidencedutchad.org/Activites/Actes/Decret%20no559du16avril08_fichiers.htm "Decret N°559/PR/2008, Portant Nomination d'un Premier Ministre, Chef du Gouvernement"] , website of the Chadian presidency, April 15, 2008 fr icon.] dismissing Prime Minister Delwa Kassiré Koumakoye. Speaking on the radio afterwards, Abbas said that he would seek to work with other political parties when forming his government. He noted that popular expectations were high but said that his task would not be easy. The appointment of Abbas, an easterner, marks a departure from Déby's standard practice of appointing Prime Ministers from the south (Déby himself is a northerner) and was presumably intended to help resolve the rebellion in the east. At the time of his appointment he was considered a relative unknown among the public, but well-regarded in political circles.

The various Chadian rebel groups reacted differently to the appointment of Abbas. Mahamat Nouri of the National Alliance said that no fundamental change could occur under Déby and described the appointment as a meaningless "non-event". The Union of Forces for Change and Democracy said that it would wait to see how much room for maneuver Déby would give Abbas, while the Rally of the Forces for Change said that it would wait to see what Abbas' political programme would be. [ [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/pays/tchad/article_depeche.asp?art_cle=XIN80028ractiertsin0 "Réaction de différentes parties à la nomination d'un nouveau Premier ministre"] , Xinhua (Jeuneafrique.com), April 20, 2008 fr icon.]

The main coalition of opposition parties, the Coordination of Political Parties for Defence of the Constitution (CPDC), had previously suspended talks with the government following the February 2008 battle of N'Djamena, during which three opposition leaders (including CPDC spokesman Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh) had been arrested. [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/fluxafp/fil_info.asp?reg_id=0&art_cle=45149 "Tchad: l'opposition entre dans le nouveau gouvernement tchadien"] , AFP (Jeuneafrique.com), April 23, 2008 fr icon.] Following the appointment of Abbas, the CPDC agreed to join the government in a meeting with Abbas on April 19, although some in the coalition, including Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh's Party for Liberties and Development (PLD), disagreed with this decision. They wanted Abbas to disclose what had happened to Saleh (who was still missing) in exchange for their participation in the government. [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/pays/tchad/article_depeche.asp?art_cle=XIN80028lacoatnemen0 "La coalition d'opposition divisée sur l'entrée au gouvernement"] , Xinhua (Jeuneafrique.com), April 22, 2008 fr icon.] Abbas's government was announced on April 23, and it included four members of the CPDC in key portfolios: Defense (held by Wadal Abdelkader Kamougué), Justice (held by Jean Alingué), Planning, Urban Development and Housing (held by Hamit Mahamat Dahalob), and Agriculture (held by Naimbaye Nossunian). The PLD refused to participate because Saleh had not been released. The government includes 25 ministers and eight secretaries of state. [ [http://apanews.net/apa.php?page=show_article&id_article=61725 "Liste du nouveau gouvernement du Tchad"] , African Press Agency, April 24, 2008 fr icon.] A key task of the government led by Abbas will be the implementation of the agreement between governing and opposition political parties, which was signed in August 2007 and is intended to lead to a parliamentary election in 2009.

References