US embassy cable - 05NDJAMENA164

C O N F I D E N T I A L  NDJAMENA 000164 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR INR, AF, AF/C, AF/SPG, PRM, USAID/OTI; 
LONDON AND PARIS FO AFRICAWATCHERS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/04/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KDEM, CD, Political Stability 
SUBJECT: PRIME MINISTE MOUSSA FAKI REPLACE BY A SOUTHERNER 
 
REF: NJDAMNA 04 1933 
 
Classified By: Political/Economic Oficer Kathleen FitzGibbon for reaso 
ns 1.4 (b) an (d). 
 
1.  (C) Summary.  The replacemet of Prime Minister Moussa 
Faki was announced on February 3. Faki's departure had been 
in the making for months.  His replacement is southerner 
Pascal Yoadimnadji, previously Minister of Agriculture, and a 
long-time embassy contact.  The Ministers of Finance, 
Education, and Moralization and Ethics lost their positions 
in a minor cabinet shake-up that followed Faki's dismissal. 
Based on previous interactions, we expect Yoadimnadji to be 
effective in advancing President Deby's interests.  End 
Summary. 
 
2.  (C) Prime Minister Moussa Faki's departure from the 
Government was announced on February 3.  As previously 
reported, Faki's unceremonious ouster had been in the making 
for months.  (See reftel.)  Embassy sources and local 
newspapers are reporting that Faki spent all day on February 
1 at the Presidency after Deby's return from Taiwan.  Embassy 
contacts within the Prime Minister's office told us that Faki 
had tried to resign twice, the most recent attempt being 
while Deby was in Taiwan.  Faki's latest disagreements with 
his uncle concerned the decree creating a committee on Libyan 
investment in Chad (which Daoussa Deby is apparently heading) 
and another decree that reorganized the Presidency and 
doubled its staff size.  Local newspapers say that the other 
issues that may have contributed to Faki's replacement 
include problems within the education, health, and oil 
sectors.  The Embassy's Political/Economic Assistant was at 
the Primature when the Presidency called to tell Faki to be 
out of his office within three hours on February 4.  The 
Government also hastily arranged a hand-over event and 
published the new list of ministers in the newspaper. 
 
3.  (U) Three ministers lost their positions.  Minister of 
the Economy and Finance Ahmat Awad Sakine was replaced by his 
deputy Ngueyam Djaibe.  According to the IMF representative 
in N'Djamena, Djaibe is a respected technocrat and previously 
was a commercial banker in Congo-Brazzaville before he was 
asked to come back to Chad and to become the deputy minister. 
 Mariam Ali, the Inspector General and Minister of Ethics was 
replaced by a Movement of Patriotic Salvation insider, Haoua 
Outman Djame.  She is a member of the Electoral Commission. 
Education Minister Ahmat Mahamat Bachir was replaced by 
Mahamat Maouloud Izzadine, a teacher and secretary at the 
National Assembly.  Teachers have not been paid for at least 
five months and are on strike.  As a result, many schools 
remain closed and the Government is under significant 
pressure to resolve the situation. 
 
4.  (U) The new Minister of Agriculture (replacing 
Yoadimnadji) is former Minister of Tourism Laoukein Medard. 
The new Minister of Tourism is Oumar Kadjallami Boukar. 
Kadjallami is a former general and former minister. 
 
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BIO NOTE: PASCAL YOADIMNADJI 
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5.  (U) Newly appointed Prime Minister Pascal Yoadimnadji had 
served as Minister of Agriculture since July 2004.  Prior to 
that, he was a member and then President of the 
Constitutional Court (from 1999 to 2002). He also served as 
President of the Independent National Electoral Commission 
(CENI) from 1995 to 1996.  He also served as Minister of 
Environment and Water (1998-1999), Minister of Tourism 
(1998), and Minister of Mines, Energy, and Petroleum (1997). 
From 1977 to 1988, he held civil servant positions in the 
Ministry of Finance.  In his early political career, he 
belonged to the Revolutionary Movement of the People (MRP) 
 
and then the Chadian Alliance for Democracy (ATD) and now is 
a member of the ruling MPS. 
 
6. (U) He obtained degrees from the Technical and Commercial 
School of N'Djamena, a diploma in administrative studies from 
the University of Paris Pantheon-Sorbonne where he also 
studied constitutional rights.  He also has degrees in public 
finance and international public administration. 
 
7.  (C) Yoadimnadji was born in Beboto, Doba in Logone 
Oriental circa 1950.  He was spurned by many southerners for 
his role in the CENI that "legitimized" Deby.  There were 
rumors at the time that he had to leave his residence due to 
harassment.  Embassy officials who attended the weekly CENI 
meetings, had regular contact with Yoadimnadji.  Despite 
differences with U.S. embassy officials during the election 
period, Yoadimnadji appeared genuine in his appreciation for 
U.S. assistance provide under the Democracy and Human Rights 
Fund.  The U.S. also provided assistance to the 
Constitutional Court under Yaodimnadji.  A long-time embassy 
employee describes Yaodimnadji as effective and pragmatic. 
 
- - - - 
COMMENT 
- - - - 
 
8.  (C)  Deby's removal of Faki was expected and his 
replacement by a southerner represents a return to the 
traditional geopolitical arrangement of balancing the 
northern presidency with a southern Prime Minister.  This 
cabinet change, however, will not stop N'Djamena's rumor 
mill, which has been working overtime during the President's 
overseas medical treatment.  Complicating all attempts at 
political analysis is the lack of information as to the 
seriousness of the President's condition.  On the one hand, 
the majority of our contacts believe the President is 
seriously ill, but on the other, no one seems to know his 
prognosis.  Meanwhile, concerns about the President's health 
and succession issues could be dividing the members of the 
Zaghawa over the best way to remain in power.  Yoadimnadji's 
appointment also does not put to rest rumors that the 
President is grooming his son, Brahim, to replace Deby should 
he depart the scene prematurely.  Recently, Brahim has been 
traveling with the Foreign Minister and with Deby.  There 
allegedly is stiff opposition within the family and military 
over this possibility. 
 
9.  (C)  Another often heard rumor is that of the precarious 
position of the National Assembly President, who 
constitutionally, would oversee elections should anything 
happen to the President of the Republic.  Now that a 
southerner has been named Prime Minister, many believe the 
President would like to see a trusted northerner become head 
of the National Assembly.  Faki had been mentioned as that 
person, but given the circumstances of his dismissal, his 
future is unclear.  Deby would have to wait until the end of 
the National Assembly President's four-year term to push for 
a replacement.  However, many of our contacts within the 
National Assembly are suspicious that there may be 
maneuvering behind-the-scenes to engineer a change in their 
command.  Stay tuned. 
 
10.  (U) Khartoum and Tripoli Minimize Considered. 
WALL 
 
 
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