The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1998/Epic Interactive Encyclopedia, The - 1998 Edition (1998)(Epic Marketing).iso/C/Chad/INFOTEXT

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Landlocked country in central N Africa,
bounded to the north by Libya, to the east by
Sudan, to the south by the Central African
Republic, and to the west by Cameroon,
Nigeria, and Niger. government The 1982
provisional constitution provides for a
president who appoints and leads a council of
ministers which exercises executive and
legislative power. In 1984 a new regrouping,
the National Union for Independence (UNIR),
was undertaken in an attempt to consolidate
the president's position, but a number of
opposition groups exist. history Called Kanem
when settled by Arabs in the 7th-13th
centuries, the area later became known as
Bornu and in the 19th century was conquered
by Sudan. From 1913 a province of French
Equatorial Africa, Chad became an autonomous
state within the French Community in 1958,
with Francois Tombalbaye as prime minister.
Full independence was achieved in 1960 and
Tombalbaye became president. He soon faced
disagreements between the Arabs of the north,
who saw Libya as an ally, and the black
African Christians of the south, who felt
more sympathy for Nigeria. In the north the
Chadian National Liberation Front (Frolinat)
revolted against the government. In 1975
Tombalbaye was killed in a coup led by former
army chief-of-staff, Felix Malloum, who
became president of a supreme military
council and appealed for national unity, but
Frolinat continued its opposition, supported
by Libya, which held a strip of land in the
north, believed to contain uranium. By 1978
Frolinat, led by General Goukouni Oueddi, had
expanded its territory but was halted with
French aid. Malloum tried to reach a
settlement by making former Frolinat leader,
Hissene Habre, prime minister, but
disagreements developed between them. In 1979
fighting broke out again between government
and Frolinat forces and Malloum fled the
country. Talks resulted in the formation of a
provisional government (GUNT), with Goukouni
holding the presidency with Libyan support. A
proposed merger with Libya was rejected and
Libya withdrew most of its forces. The
Organization for African Unity (OAU) set up a
peacekeeping force but civil war broke out
and by 1981 Hissene Habre's Armed Forces of
the North (FAN) controlled half the country.
Goukouni fled and set up a `government in
exile'. In 1983 a majority of OAU members
agreed to recognize Habre's regime but
Goukouni, with Libyan support, fought on.
After Libyan bombing, Habre appealed to
France for help. 3,000 troops were sent as
instructors, with orders to retaliate if
attacked. Following a Franco-African summit
in 1983, a ceasefire was agreed, with
latitude 16 degrees N dividing the opposing
forces. Libyan president Colonel Khaddhafi's
proposal of a simultaneous withdrawal of
French and Libyan troops was accepted. By Dec
all French troops had left but Libya's
withdrawal was doubtful. Habre dissolved the
military arm of Frolinat and formed a new
party, the National Union for Independence
(UNIR), but opposition to his regime grew. In
1987 Goukouni was reported to be under house
arrest in Tripoli. Meanwhile Libya
intensified its military operations in
northern Chad, Habre's government retaliated,
and France renewed, if reluctantly, its
support. It was announced in Mar 1989 that
France, Chad, and Libya had agreed to observe
a ceasefire proposed by the Organization of
African Unity (OAU). A meeting in July 1989
between Habre and Khaddhaffi reflected the
improvement in relations between Chad and
Libya. Habre was endorsed as president Dec
1989 for another seven-year term, under a
revised constitution.