War threat in Chad

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THE supposedly Socialist government of Francois Mitterrand in France has made moves which could lead to full-scale war in Chad.

It has sent reinforcements to back up its 3,000 troops in the country, and ordered the troops to extend their zone of control nearly 100 miles north.

Since the troops were sent last August, there has been stalemate in Chad.

The desperately poor former French colony is divided between two warlords, Goukouni Oueddei and Hissene Habre: Currently Goukouni is backed by Libya and Habre by. France, though neither represents anything progressive compared with the other in terms of Chadian politics, and indeed in the past the alliances have been reversed.

Last summer it looked like an offensive by Libya and Goukouni could topple Habre's government. France, which has maintained a • strong influence in (French-trained) forces sent in from Zaire.

The situation was 'frozen' with the Habre-France-Zaire alliance controlling the south of the country, and GoukouniLibya the north.

Attempted negotiations in Addis Ababa early in January collapsed, though African states are unanimous in opposing a partition of Chad.

The borders of Chad are essentially lines drawn on the map by 19th century colonialists, and they include a vast variety of peoples and languages from the Muslim Arabs and Berbers of the (mainly desert) north to the Christian or animist black Africans of the south.

Though historically the northern peoples have usually dominated and enslaved the southerners, the south has been economically more important since French colonial rule. In the first post-colonial years, southerners dominated, but in years of bitter communal strife since then, northerners have gained the upper hand.

LIBYA NIGER CHAD Lake Chad Abesbe o • N'djamena Bongor Sarh Moundou

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Chad as in other ex-colonies, sent in its troops, and got other