Chad Chaos

Scan page 2

• Confusion reigns in the vast central African republic of Chad.

The latest, provisional government has! already met serious challenges ' to its precarious authority in the first week of its glory.

Born at last month's conference in Kano, the new grand coalition was conceived as the resolution of 13 years of civil war in Chad.

There are four elements in the regime, including the two partners in the preceding 'Government of National Reconciliation'-the armed forces of the neo colonial state (propped up by French imperialism) and the 'Forces of the North'. , led by Hissene Habre.

They have been joined by the Popular Movement for the Total Liberation of Chad MPLTT-the Third Army'), and by the major remaining faction öf the liberation front FROLINAT.

It is Goukouni Queddi, principle leader of FROLINAT, who heads this ambitious gang.

But his government's chances of survival appear to be remarkably slim, even by the standards of Chad's recent A secessionist movementthe United Southern Front-has sprung up in the south in opposition to the coalition. At the same time the Third Army' (MPLTT) has been • split by vicious conflicts.

After the Kano conference, Aboubakar' Mahamat Abderrahman (former leader of the MPLTT) was stripped of all his positions, arrested and apparently executed along with two of his principal supporters.

This coup seems to have been launched because of the pro-Libyan positions taken up by Abderrahman at Kano.

Gaddafi

Meanwhile, Gaddafi's support has been switched to the Vulcan Force' . According to the Financial Times Libyan troops have now advanced 300 miles into Chad, beyond the Aouzou Zone, which Gaddati has already annexed.

At the Kano conference, the