Chad
October 20, 2017
Chad
Overview
Figure 1. Chad
Chad, a landlocked country twice the size of Texas, has had
a turbulent history marked by conflict since independence
from France in 1960. The country lies in a politically
unstable region, bordered by Libya, Sudan, the Central
African Republic (CAR), Cameroon Niger, and Nigeria. Its
diverse population includes predominantly Muslim Arab
and other semi-nomadic ethnic groups in the arid north and
east, and mostly agrarian groups practicing Christianity and
traditional beliefs in the south. President Idriss Déby, who
seized power in an armed rebellion in 1990, was reelected
to a fifth term in April 2016. Chad is among the world’s
poorest countries, despite significant oil reserves. Instability
and poor governance have hindered development.
A 2010 agreement between Chad and Sudan, which had for
years engaged in a proxy war by backing rebel groups in
each other’s territory, has reduced conflict in Chad, but
Source: CIA World Factbook, IMF
former rebel groups periodically threaten to resume their
armed struggle against Déby. Without the support of Sudan
Déby was Habré’s military chief of staff and special
or the former Qadhafi regime in Libya, the rebels’ capacity
security advisor during a period of violent state
to challenge the government may be limited.
counterinsurgency in 1984 known as “Black September.”
Déby denies responsibility for massacres committed during
Chad has been increasingly active in regional stabilization
that time, although in 2016, a special court in Senegal found
efforts as internal threats have decreased, with support from
Habré guilty of crimes against humanity.
countries like France and the United States. Since 2013, its
military has played a key role in countering regional
Déby has pledged to create a democratic multi-party
terrorist groups in Mali and Nigeria. As a result, and in line
political system, but after more than 25 years in office his
with broader trends, U.S. security assistance to Chad has
governance record is generally seen as poor. He and his
risen. The French and U.S. military presence there has
party continue to dominate elections against a weak and
grown. Spillover from conflicts in Sudan and CAR (where
fractured opposition. Parliament amended the constitution
Chadian troops participated in a regional stabilization
in 2005 to abolish presidential term limits. Déby’s ethnic
mission in 2012-2014) pose challenges. Threats from Libya
group, the Zaghawa, a non-Arab, predominantly Muslim
and reported links between elements of the Islamic State
group, constitutes a small minority of the population but its
(IS) in Libya and IS-aligned Boko Haram in Nigeria are of
members hold many government positions.
concern to the Déby government and its Western partners.
In the 2016 elections, several opposition figures ran against
On September 24, 2017, the Trump Administration listed
Déby, and African Union (AU) election observers reported
Chad among eight counties whose citizens are indefinitely
that the polls took place in “a relatively more consensual
barred from receiving certain types of visas to enter the
climate than the previous elections.” However, the
United States. A Presidential Proclamation states that while
government suppressed pre-election protests and blocked
“Chad is an important and valuable counterterrorism
internet access and text messaging on polling day. Several
partner,” it “does not adequately share public-safety and
activists were arrested for organizing rallies and some
terrorism-related information” and fails to meet at least one
members of the security forces allegedly disappeared,
other significant but undefined security standard.
purportedly after supporting the opposition. Freedom House
classifies Chad as “not free” in its Freedom in the World
Political Situation
index. Déby completed a one-year term as AU president in
2016, and then-foreign minister Moussa Faki Mahamat was
Chad has been politically unstable since 1965, when
elected as AU Commission Chairperson in January 2017.
northern, largely Muslim tribes rebelled against the
southern, Christian-dominated government. Years of
Security Situation
authoritarian rule and civil war followed. President Déby, a
former general, took power by force in a rebellion launched
Chad’s ethnic rivalries are complex and fluid, and they have
from Sudan against then-President Hissène Habré. Déby’s
been compounded by conflict over land and limited natural
forces, reportedly aided by Libya and Sudan, seized the
resources. Some opponents of President Déby, including
capital in 1990 and forced Habré into exile. Previously,
within his own ethnic group, have periodically fomented
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Chad
armed efforts to oust him. Déby has survived several coup
Cooperation Council diplomatic crisis: Qatar reportedly
attempts and armed uprisings since the 1990s. Economic
supports Islamist factions in western Libya who have
and political pressures, along with the deterioration of
supported Chadian rebels in the past, while the UAE,
security conditions in the Lake Chad area bordering Nigeria
Egypt, and Saudi Arabia have sided with Haftar.
(near the capital, N’Djamena), have fueled discontent, but
armed groups operating in neighboring countries appear to
Humanitarian Situation
be the more pressing concern for state security. Chad has
Eighty percent of Chad’s population is dependent on
participated in regional efforts to respond to Islamist
subsistence farming and herding, and droughts and locusts
terrorism and other transnational security threats, but
regularly hinder food production. Chronic food insecurity
limited interoperability and mistrust undermine their
(currently affecting 3.5 million Chadians) has been
effectiveness. Some analysts posit that regional actors’
exacerbated by large influxes of refugees and security
overly militarized and often heavy-handed response to such
threats that have constrained the movement of Chadian
threats has also been counterproductive in some cases.
pastoralists who rely on cross-border migration. Chad hosts
more than 320,000 refugees from Sudan, over 75,000
Boko Haram. Chad’s reported interception of a weapons
refugees from CAR, and more than 9,000 refugees from
convoy bound from IS-Libya for Boko Haram in 2016
Nigeria. The Boko Haram crisis has also displaced more
highlighted growing concern with terrorist linkages in the
than 118,000 Chadians internally. Instability and violence
region. The then-commander of U.S. Special Operations in
Africa referred to the Lake Chad area as “ground zero” in
in Libya, Nigeria, and CAR have led over 177,000
Chadians to return home, further straining already limited
the fight against extremism in Africa. Déby deployed troops
resources. Refugee inflows have increased tensions linked
into northeast Nigeria in 2015 to stop Boko Haram’s
to contests over local resources. The U.N. maintains
territorial advances, which threatened trade routes on which
refugee camps in eastern and southern Chad, where
Chad relies. Chad then became a target for the group, which
violence and criminal activity threaten aid operations.
conducted bombings in N’Djamena in mid-2015 and
periodic attacks against villages and military targets near
Economic Situation
Chad’s borders with Nigeria and Niger. A Boko Haram
faction reportedly operates from islands in Lake Chad’s
Oil and agriculture are the mainstays of Chad’s economy,
boundary area. Chad withdrew some of its troops from the
with oil providing about 60% of export revenues, and
Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), a regional
declining oil prices present economic challenges.
initiative to counter the group, in October, citing competing
Landlocked Chad is reliant on its neighbors to facilitate
security priorities in the north.
trade—notably Cameroon and Nigeria. Chad’s known oil
reserves are estimated at 1.5 billion barrels, and oil is
Stability Operations in Mali. Chad has had troops in Mali
exported via the World Bank-financed Chad-Cameroon
since early 2013, when they deployed in support of French-
pipeline. Corruption, weak state institutions, and instability,
led operations to oust armed Islamist groups from areas that
however, prevent most of the population from benefitting.
they controlled. Today, Chad has more than 1,400 troops in
the U.N. peacekeeping mission, MINUSMA, which is
U.S. Policy and Foreign Assistance
headed by a Chadian diplomat. MINUSMA has no mandate
Stated U.S. priorities in Chad include addressing
for offensive counterterrorism operations, despite regular
humanitarian needs, promoting regional stability, and
attacks on peacekeepers and other armed forces in Mali. It
strengthening Chad’s counterterrorism abilities. The Trump
is one of the world’s most dangerous U.N. peacekeeping
Administration’s FY2018 bilateral aid request totals $1.6
missions. In mid-2017, a group of five countries—including
million, all for military training and counterterrorism
Chad—known as the G5 Sahel advanced the concept of a
efforts. That figure is low by regional standards, but Chad
joint force to address terrorism and transnational crime
generally has received security and humanitarian assistance
emanating from Mali, and appealed for donor support.
through regional and global programs that far outweighs
Chad-Sudan Relations. Chad’s warming relations with the
bilateral allocations. Chad also receives some development
government of Sudanese President Omar al Bashir since
aid through State and USAID regional funds and through
their 2010 rapprochement have calmed tensions in Chad,
multilateral mechanisms. Despite governance and stability
but also cause consternation among human rights advocates
concerns, successive Administrations since 2001 have
and some donors. The International Criminal Court (ICC)
considered the Déby government a partner in the effort to
has outstanding arrest warrants for Bashir for genocide and
counter violent extremism. Chad is a participant in the U.S.
other crimes, but Chad—an ICC state party—has declined
Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership, and the United
to arrest him during official visits. Déby is married to the
States has provided training, equipment, and logistical
daughter of Musa Hilal, the former head of the Janjaweed
support for Chad’s deployment to Mali. The Trump
militia, who is subject to U.N. and U.S. sanctions.
Administration's decision to include Chad on its revised list
of countries subject to “enhanced vetting” for entry to the
Chad-Libya Relations. In early 2017, Chad temporarily
United States may have implications for the bilateral
closed its border with Libya to prevent militant infiltration
relationship and for U.S.-Chad security cooperation.
following the ouster of IS from Sirte in U.S.-backed
operations. Déby is viewed as an ally of former Qadhafi-era
Lauren Ploch Blanchard, Specialist in African Affairs
General Khalifa Haftar, a rival of Libya’s U.N.-recognized
Katherine Z. Terrell,
Government of National Accord. In August 2017, Chad
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severed ties with Qatar in the context of the Gulf
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Chad
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10760 · VERSION 2 · NEW