Djermaya refinery delivers energy crunch

September 7, 2011: With the inauguration of the Chinese oil refinery in Djermaya, Chad, the market is doing its best to adjust to the new addition. The timing could not have been worse, as Chad finds itself in that period between the close of the rainy season and harvest, where the roads are at their worst.
Between a 40%+ tax on imported goods and the subsidized cost of production in Djermaya, imported gasoline and diesel just cannot compete with the price offered at the Chinese refineries.
Every gas station and fuel distributor in Chad (and perhaps elsewhere) wants to buy the cheaper fuel from the new refinery. As a result, suppliers are having difficulty keeping up with the demand, and everyone from motorcyclists to transportation companies to private companies who use generators, from N'Djaména to Goz Beïda, is struggling to provide their need for energy.
Please pray that immediate energy solutions may be found soon, and that long-term improvements will also be felt as time goes by.

Chadian army, rebels clash in east: government

NDJAMENA (AFP) — Chadian troops clashed Thursday with rebels in the east of the country, both sides said, each claiming initial victory in the first direct confrontation since the rebels invaded from neighbouring Sudan.

"The first ground clashes have just taken place at Am-Deressa, 10 kilometres (six miles) south of Am-Dam," Communications Minister Mahamat Hissene said.

"The government forces gained the upper hand and mopping up operations are continuing."

He gave no casualty figures.

"There was violent fighting with the troops of (President Idriss) Deby, from 5:00 am (0400 GMT," rebel alliance spokesman Adberaman Koulamallah confirmed to AFP. "It was very violent. The fighting lasted for hours."

Koulamallah also claimed success, saying that the battle "turned in our favour. Government forces are completely routed. We occupy Am-Dam. The objective is still (the capital) Ndjamena."

Am-Dam is 110 kilometres north of Goz Beida and more than 100 kilometres south of Abeche, the two towns used as bases by most relief agencies working in east Chad to help 450,000 refugees and displaced people.

The UN refugee agency on Thursday said it has pulled all but two of 20 staff out of camps for 60,000 people because of instability caused by the insurgency since the rebels crossed into Chad from west Sudan on Monday.

The decision echoes one Wednesday by the UN World Food Programme in the same region, because three rebel forces were advancing across Chad from the eastern border, stating that their sights were set on the capital Ndjamena.

"All the other humanitarian agencies are going to do the same" because the situation is "too volatile and too unstable," Serge Male, representing the High Commissioner for Refugees in Chad, but he stressed that "we hope this won't last."

The UNHCR has meanwhile provided for "very short term" measures to keep about 20,000 Sudanese refugees at Koukou Angarana and about 40,000 Chadians displaced by previous internal conflicts, Male said.

The Chadian government has accused Sudan of backing the rebel assault that started on Monday, while the ink was scarcely dry on a peace pact between the fractious neighbours brokered in Doha by Qatar and Libya.

Rebels of the Union of Forces for Resistance (UFR) claimed in a statement that they captured government military vehicles during a brief land clash on Tuesday between Tizzi and Haraz Mangueigne.

Koulamallah claimed Thursday that the rebels had "more than a thousand vehicles," but said they had been attacked each day from the air by helicopters and bombers flying very high. "Our air defence works fine," he added. "That is not a problem."

The government has so far stated that it carried out one air attack on the rebels advancing across the hot, arid south of the central African country in four-by-four vehicles.

Diplomatic sources said that on Wednesday the rebels entered Am-Dam and Am-Timan, 180 kilometres south of Goz Beida, where they encountered no resistance.

However, the military activity, which follows a thwarted rebel bid last year to seize Ndjamena after they entered the capital, has led to mounting fears for some 450,000 refugees and displaced people in camps in eastern Chad.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon "is following developments in eastern Chad with increasing concern," the UN said in a statement late Wednesday, calling on Chad and Sudan to resume peace talks and urging respect for UN humanitarian operations.

Chadian Interior and Public Security Minister Ahmat Mahamat Bashir accused Sudanese President Omar El-Beshir of ordering "mercenaries" to attack Chad and vowed that the rebels would be wiped out.

Peace between Chad and Sudan is regarded as essential to any lasting settlement to a six-year-old uprising in Sudan's western Darfur region, where the Chadian rebels have rear bases.

In February last year, rebels battled their way to Ndjamena in western Chad in a bid to overthrow President Idiss Deby Itno before being beaten back with logistical help from some French forces.

Pray for peace in Chad.

Original Article: Click here

Life in N'Djaména just got harder

In a bold move, the Chadian government has forbidden the use of wood charcoal in the capital city. According to a press release by the Party for Liberties and Development, wives and mothers no longer know how to prepare food for their children and their husbands. The price of fava beans, which the youth love so much to eat, has more than doubled. Cereal prices have soared in all markets. Finding firewood and coal, the only sources of domestic energy for the vast majority, has become an ordeal.

The Government has also adopted a series of tax measures in its finance law which will make the lives of the poorest Chadian citizens very, very difficult. They will be increasing the prices of construction materials, placing levy taxes on various houses and imposing other taxes which will eventually cause everyone to be homeless. Not long ago, the Government massively destroyed the homes of peaceful N'Djaména residents. Today it prevents them from preparing food, tomorrow it will increase the burden of taxes.

It is hard to understand how the Chadian government can prohibit the use of wood and coal, without proposing domestic energy alternatives. Many people will interpret this situation in a negative light, saying that the Chadian government has once again shown its contempt for all Chadians. Please pray that they will be aware of the danger of their acts to the security of their future, and that viable solutions would be found for them to promote the growth and development of their nation.

Links:
The original press release
IRIN article: Panic, outcry at government charcoal ban

When will the "Big Attack" come?

In the eyes of many, the question is not "if", but "when"

For those living beside the Sudanese border, especially in Abéché, the big question is "When will the rebels attack?" Chadians and foreigners living there expect something to happen in January or February. President Déby is reported to be nervous about his position. Tchadactuel.com reports that one of his spies heard those at a celebration of Timan, who is one of the important military officials, saying "Mabrouk, Mabrouk" (Congratulations) to him. The spy assumed that they had gathered to plan a rebellion against the President, and those at the party were congratulating their new leader.

As a result, President Déby's Sudanese mercenaries began going around from house to house, confiscating weapons from all those who could potentially be in a rebellion against him.

At the same time, tchadactuel.com spoke of inter-rebel fighting in Bahai last week. If this report is true, it does not bode well for the united front the rebellion would need to succeed if they are to remove the authority from President Déby.

Friends in N'Djaména report that the president cannot trust his northern brothers, so he is turning to Christians for help. Last month he held a big Christmas party and invited many of his Christian friends to participate, all expenses paid. Since 2006, everyone in Chad has been anticipating the "big attack" that will overthrow President Déby and usher in a new government. So for three years, life in Chad has been characterised by fear, speculation and concern for the future.

With the intelligence capabilities at their disposal, many western governments lean to the pessimist's side, and are asking their nationals to think very seriously about living and working in Chad. Many countries are warning those holding their passports that if they are in Chad, their security becomes their own responsibility. Pessimists expect a new government to be more restrictive, more Islamic, more like Sudan and restrictive of religious freedom for non-Muslims.

A small number of optimists believe that a new government will bring peace and positive advancement to Chad at last. So some are praying for the rebellion to come quickly, others are praying that it would never come. Of course, the ideal situation would be that the government transition would come in a peaceful manner.

We pray that the Father who holds all days in His hands would be with the poor and the oppressed, the rich and the authorities, on that day, if it is to come. We can all thank God for each day that passes without a rebel attack entering Chad. Silence on this blog is a sign of God's mercy at work in this struggling nation!

And our prayers are especially with our friends who have been willingly living under this threat with a desire to make an Eternal difference in this country. We hear that there is an openness like never before to the Hope that only Christ can bring. God is blessing Chad in her greatest time of uncertainty.

Trouble is Brewing

The Article below shows us what has been simmering under the surface all during the rainy season from May until now. The government forces and rebels are getting ready for the greatest clash of the Twenty-First Century. Please surround our beloved Chad in prayer at this time, that on the other side of all these troubles, Chad will find the peace and stability she so desperately needs...

October 7 (www.tchadactuel.com):

The Season of All Possible Hazards

The rainy season is over and everyone looks to the East. They are not to examining the sky to see if there will be rain or not. Rather, it is to try to discover when the "contact" between President Déby and the rebels will take place with its trail of misery for all Chadians. This "contact" will certainly happen, and both sides are preparing ardently. The rebels claimed that at the end of the rainy season, they will go hunting for Déby. As for President Déby, he has even suggested a date: October. Déby stated clearly in Amdjeress that his objective is to chase Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir out of power, and then he the rebels will disappear all by themselves.

Both sides are full of confidence and assurance. Déby has a serenity that he did not know before. The rebels say he is just putting a good face on a bad situation. While Déby has amassed an impressive armada of light and heavy weapons, transport planes, bombers, helicopters with night vision capabilities, etc... He has also sent all his war resources (physical and human) to the east. He has also invested heavily in buying consciences, both those of individuals and of ethnic groups. He does not skimp on ways and means, for he has plenty of them! Déby has allowed himself a stroll in Amdjeress, a region with a strong RFC presence. The rebels sneer, "Indeed, it is easy to go to Amdjeress when all the wadis are uncrossable because of the wetness of the season." In this rosy picture, there are few shady areas.

First of all, there is a perceptible tension within the President's family, along with various speculations: Déby reportedly escaped an assassination attempt, a palace revolution is apparently underway, and so on. Then his ally the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) is not in great shape because numerous deserters are bleeding out of their ranks, along with a strong lack of morale within the JEM ranks who are tired of being the mercenaries of Déby. There has been changes within the mobile regiment, Déby's shock troops. Tahir Erda, the Commander of the regiment, has been recalled to N'Djamena and has been replaced by a cousin of President Déby. He claims that this is simply a tactical decision because Tahir has remained long on the eastern front. Tahir Erda is the heart and lungs of the Déby defense forces. His being recalled from the eastern front just when the battle is about to begin is not at all a "tactical decision". Nor was the dismissal of Houno Abeguer Gouna a tactical decision, who is a strong fighter who is well known within the clan for not being afraid of a fight. We also learned that Déby's entourage when he traveled to Amdjeress asked permission to behead Younousmi. General Mahamat Saleh Brahim, the heat of the GNNT supported by Daoussa, is all the more determined to behead him, because he bluntly accuses Younousmi of being the principal financial donor for the rebellion! What a rat Younousmi is: as he provides financial help to Déby, he also provides financial backing to the rebellion! In another sign of impending shadows, desertions have resumed with a vengeance. There is not a day that goes by when at least one government soldier walks away and joins one of the rebel forces, often he bringing his vehicle with him. To close the brackets on the dark side of the troubles that seem to be working against Déby, it should be noted that the trench dug around N'Djamena has fallen in and become a very sandy dry river bed. Even the rains have voted in favor of the rebellion.

Contrary to the expectations of all their faithful supporters, the rebels have not at all advanced in terms of unity. Meetings take place within meetings, small discussions are happening within small discussions, and still nothing concrete has emerged from all this. Contrary to the concern of supporters who are watching this situation unfold from a distance, the rebels are highly optimistic and assure them that they will act in a united fashion, no matter what form their actions may take. AMEN!

Mahamat Ahmat
N'Djamena

Not all sweetness and light

March 1, 2008: According to several tchadactuel.com reporters, the reality of the situation in N'Djaména and the country is the worst it has ever been in living memory. We hear that Sudanese mercenaries, unwelcome in their home country because of their stand against the Sudanese government, fought to assist the Chadian government to stay in power. Ever since they succeeded in pushing the rebels against the Chadian government away, they have been pillaging the homes of innocent civilians. They have also been raping women and girls in their homes with impunity.
The government has also expressed its intention to evict everyone from the Diguel and Gardolé quarters (neighborhoods) in N'Djaména, for their presumed support of the Sudanese government.
These post-battle disasters are leaving ordinary Chadians everywhere in an uproar. Please pray that the pillaging and raping of the innocent would stop, and that peace can be found between the people and their government once again.

For more information:
N'Djaména, ville prison ou ville ou pillulent des prédateurs?
Peuple tchadien, ta lutte est juste