The Emerging Problem of Chad

I get sucked into watching the tape of the Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett mutual love fest earlier this week. As long as the talk is focused on economic development and attracting jobs they seem like reasonable leaders, but once the question period frees them to pontificate about "energy independence" it strikes me, that in the belief there is escape from the problems of the global energy economy, they have become denial isolationists.

The problems in Sudan are spreading into neighboring Chad, where by most accounts the results of a fraudulent election retain the Presidency for Idriss Deby.

Winner Declared: Chad's embattled President Idriss Deby, who faces a surging rebellion on several fronts, has been officially certified as the winner of his country's latest presidential election with over 77 percent of the vote. Western diplomats say the vote was far from free and fair, and few Chadians appeared to take part.

The vote came as Chad, a new oil producer, also had problems with international lenders who helped pay for an oil pipeline. Chad's government watered down a law ensuring some oil profits would go to alleviate poverty, prompting the World Bank to temporarily cut aid and freeze overseas bank accounts.

Mr. Deby accuses Sudan's government of being behind several rebel movements trying to topple him. Some of the rebels are allied with Janjaweed militias fighting in Sudan's Darfur region, while other Chadian rebels are allied with Darfurian rebels. Their allies are fighting against each other in Darfur, but in Chad, the common goal is to get rid of Mr. Deby.

The election follows one of the oldest aspiring dictator tricks in the books.

Term Limit Lifted: Mr. Deby has ruled Chad since he overthrew Hissane Habre in 1990. He was voted president in 1996 and 2001. A referendum last year, which the opposition also boycotted, removed term limits.

The results have ripple effects in the region.

Diplomatic Resignation: The Chadian chargé d’affaires in Khartoum, Kabaro Hussein al-Soleil, has announced his defection from the government of Idriss Deby. … He described Idriss Deby as imperious saying that he is ruling through tribalism, rape, chaos, nepotism, violation, killing, terrorism and the dominance of planned disorder.

The situation away from the oil money deteriorates and the UN … fornicates?

Breakdown: The Chad government doesn't want foreign peacekeepers, but it unable to provide security along the Sudan border. There's not exactly a war going on along the frontier. It's more like a breakdown in law and order, and dozens of groups of armed men wandering around stealing whatever they can. These guys are not interested in fighting. If they encounter security forces, or another armed group, they may exchange some fire, and if the other guy doesn't flee, just move on.

Back in Wisconsin, Mayor Dave and Mayor Tom join Mayor Daley of Chicago in trying to land the 2016 Olympic Games, while taking pot shots at President Bush for not dealing with the “real problems” facing America.