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1 1 (October 20, 2017)

handle is hein.crs/govcgwv0001 and id is 1 raw text is: FF.ri E.$~ & October 20, 2017 Chad xsvervie 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 D6by, 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 former rebel groups periodically threaten to resume their armed struggle against D6by. Without the support of Sudan or the former Qadhafi regime in Libya, the rebels' capacity to challenge the government may be limited. Chad has been increasingly active in regional stabilization efforts as internal threats have decreased, with support from countries like France and the United States. Since 2013, its military has played a key role in countering regional terrorist groups in Mali and Nigeria. As a result, and in line with broader trends, U.S. security assistance to Chad has risen. The French and U.S. military presence there has grown. Spillover from conflicts in Sudan and CAR (where Chadian troops participated in a regional stabilization mission in 2012-2014) pose challenges. Threats from Libya and reported links between elements of the Islamic State (IS) in Libya and IS-aligned Boko Haram in Nigeria are of concern to the D6by government and its Western partners. On September 24, 2017, the Trump Administration listed Chad among eight counties whose citizens are indefinitely barred from receiving certain types of visas to enter the United States. A Presidential Proclamation states that while Chad is an important and valuable counterterrorism partner, it does not adequately share public-safety and terrorism-related information and fails to meet at least one other significant but undefined security standard. fl itka~ SSN~mn''NN Chad has been politically unstable since 1965, when northern, largely Muslim tribes rebelled against the southern, Christian-dominated government. Years of authoritarian rule and civil war followed. President D6by, a former general, took power by force in a rebellion launched from Sudan against then-President Hissdne Habrd. Ddby's forces, reportedly aided by Libya and Sudan, seized the capital in 1990 and forced Habr6 into exile. Previously, Figure I. Chad Popujation, Growth Rato; ....9%, &thoiic 20%, aniroist 03%ii :: other CIstiln Facbook,2IMF specifadisrduring( a01 peridot voet tt Lifue Exprancy in 8 k2 yaas Ba Ihfant mo alhuh ity 810 , .. bs .. c TtalrFrtilty Rame 4.g4in bum an Llterar2.3 Keby Ehast p letoc crato es a ocrati mli-p hty bultterssebtafe oeta 5yer nofc i GD, GDP percp a S.b or $7Q1 Source: CIA World Factbook, IMF D6by was Habr6's military chief of staff and special security advisor during a period of violent state counterinsurgency in 1984 known as Black September. D6by denies responsibility for massacres committed during that time, although in 2016, a special court in Senegal found Habr6 guilty of crimes against humanity. D6by has pledged to create a democratic multi-party political system, but after more than 25 years in office his governance record is generally seen as poor. He and his party continue to dominate elections against a weak and fractured opposition. Parliament amended the constitution in 2005 to abolish presidential term limits. Ddby's ethnic group, the Zaghawa, a non-Arab, predominantly Muslim group, constitutes a small minority of the population but its members hold many government positions. In the 2016 elections, several opposition figures ran against D6by, and African Union (AU) election observers reported that the polls took place in a relatively more consensual climate than the previous elections. However, the government suppressed pre-election protests and blocked internet access and text messaging on polling day. Several activists were arrested for organizing rallies and some members of the security forces allegedly disappeared, purportedly after supporting the opposition. Freedom House classifies Chad as not free in its Freedom in the World index. D6by completed a one-year term as AU president in 2016, and then-foreign minister Moussa Faki Mahamat was elected as AU Commission Chairperson in January 2017. Chad's ethnic rivalries are complex and fluid, and they have been compounded by conflict over land and limited natural resources. Some opponents of President D6by, including within his own ethnic group, have periodically fomented '.0 K~:> gognpo goo g , q 's a X 11LULANJILiN,

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