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Chad
Overview
Country Overview
Chad is situated in central Africa, bounded by Libya, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Central African Republic and Sudan. The topography ranges from equatorial forests to the driest of deserts.
N'Djaména, Chad's capital is slowly regaining its pre-war reputation as one of Central Africa's liveliest cities. Bullet holes in buildings serve as a reminder of troubled times, but the atmosphere here is increasingly upbeat. The historic quarter, with its colourful daily market, is fascinating and a good place to pick up colourful Chadian rugs and jewellery.
Zakouma National Park: This is located on an immense plain across which the Bahr Salamat and its tributaries flow from north to south. Here visitors may view what is left of the wildlife (the area has suffered greatly at the hands of poachers).
Lively dancing and music is to be found in the capital, where there are several nightclubs. Outside N'Djaména, nightlife is limited, although bars and open-air dancing can generally be found.
General Information
Area: 1,284,000 sq km (495,800 sq miles).
Population: 7,557,000 (official estimate 1999).
Population Density: 5.9 per sq km.
Capital: N’Djamena. Population: 530,965 (1993).
GEOGRAPHY: Chad is situated in central Africa, bounded by Libya to the north, Niger, Nigeria and Cameroon to the west, the Central African Republic to the south, and Sudan to the east. The topography ranges from equatorial forests to the driest of deserts. In the northeast lies Ennedi, and to the north the volcanic Tibesti range, largely sheer cliffs, ravines and canyons set among Saharan sand dunes.
Government: Republic. Gained independence from France in 1960. Head of State: President Idriss Déby since 2001. Head of Government: Prime Minister Haroun Kabadi since 2002.
Language: The official languages are French and Arabic. Other widely spoken languages include Sara (in the south). The territory’s boundaries enclose a small but highly diverse population.
Religion: Fifty per cent Muslim, 30 per cent Christian, 20 per cent Animist.
Time: GMT + 1.
Electricity: 220/380 volts AC, 50Hz.
Communications:
Telephone
Country code: 235. It may be necessary to go through the operator.
Mobile telephone
GSM 900 network covers the N'Djaména area. Network operators include Celtel Tchad (website: www.msi-cellular.com) and Liberits.
Fax
Services are available in large hotels in main cities.
Internet
Limited facilities are available in N'Djaména.
Telegram
Available in major post offices in N’Djaména, Sarh, Moundou and Abéché.
Post
Airmail takes about one week. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0700-1130 and 1530-1830, Sat 0730-1100.
Press
Newspapers are printed in French and generally have a low circulation. Dailies include Le Progrès and Info-Tchad.
BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change.
BBC (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice):
Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov):
Passport/Visa
| | Passport Required? | Visa Required? | Return Ticket Required? | | British | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Australian | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Canadian | Yes | Yes | Yes | | USA | Yes | Yes | Yes | | OtherEU | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Japanese | Yes | Yes | Yes |
PASSPORTS: Valid passport required by all.
VISAS: Required by all except the following:
(a) nationals of Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo for a stay of up to three months;
(b) those continuing their journey within 48 hours by the same of first connecting aircraft provided holding tickets with reserved seats and valid travel documents.
Types of visa and cost: Ordinary visa (includes visas issued for business or touristic purposes). Visas cost €61 (or equivalent in other currency).
Validity: One month.
Note: (a) Travel outside the capital requires a permit from the Ministry of the Interior. (b) For those entering Chad across the Sudanese border, a special entry visa is required. (c) For those entering Chad across the Nigerian border, a normal entry visa will suffice.
Delays may be experienced in obtaining permits.
Application to: Consulate (or Consular section at Embassy); see Contact Addresses section for details.
Application requirements: (a) Valid passport. (b) Three passport-size photos. (c) Three application forms. (d) Letters of recommendation. (e) Valid return ticket. (f) Fee.
Working days required: One.
Money
Currency: CFA (Communauté Financiaire Africaine) Franc (CFAfr) = 100 centimes. Notes are in denominations of CFAfr10,000, 5000, 2000, 1000 and 500. Coins are in denominations of CFAfr250, 100, 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1. Chad is part of the French Monetary Area. Only currency issued by the Banque des Etats de l’Afrique Centrale (Bank of Central African States) is valid; currency issued by the Banque des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (Bank of West African States) is not. The CFA Franc is tied to the Euro.
Currency exchange: It is advisable to bring US Dollars or Euros rather than Sterling into the country. CFA Francs can be difficult to exchange outside the French Monetary Area.
Credit & debit cards: Diners Club, Visa and MasterCard are accepted at two hotels in N'Djaména. It may not be possible to obtain cash advances at banks on credit cards.
Travellers cheques: May be exchanged at one or two banks in N'Djaména. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in Euros.
Currency restrictions: If importing or exporting local currency from other countries in the French monetary area there are no restrictions; the import or export of local currency from any other country is limited to CFAfr10,000. Import of foreign currency is unrestricted, provided declared upon arrival. Export of foreign currency is limited to the amount imported and declared.
Exchange rate indicators
The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the CFA Franc against Sterling and the US Dollar:
| Date | May ’02 | Aug ’02 | Nov ’02 | Feb ’03 | | £1.00 = | 1035.90 | 1025.70 | 1038.27 | 966.15 | | $1.00 = | 710.84 | 674.41 | 656.55 | 606.78 |
Banking hours: Mon-Sat 0700-1300; Fri 0700-1030.
Duty Free
The following goods may be imported into Chad without incurring customs duty for passengers over 18 years of age:
400 cigarettes or 125 cigars or 500g of tobacco (women are permitted to import cigarettes only); 3 bottles of wine and 1 bottle of spirits.
Public Holidays
Jan 1 2003 New Year’s Day. Feb 12 Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice). Apr 13 National Day. Apr 21 Easter Monday. May 1 Labour Day. May 25 Liberation of Africa (anniversary of the OAU’s foundation). Aug 11 Independence Day. Nov 1 All Saints’ Day. Nov 26-28 Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan). Nov 28 Proclamation of the Republic. Dec 25 Christmas Day. Jan 1 2004 New Year’s Day. Feb 2 Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice). Apr 12 Easter Monday. Apr 13 National Day. May 1 Labour Day. May 25 Liberation of Africa (anniversary of the OAU’s foundation). Aug 11 Independence Day. Nov 1 All Saints’ Day. Nov 14-16 Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan). Nov 28 Proclamation of the Republic. Dec 25 Christmas Day.
Note: Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Many restaurants are closed during the day and there may be restrictions on smoking and drinking. Some disruption may continue into Eid al-Fitr itself. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha may last anything from two to ten days, depending on the region. For more information see the World of Islam appendix.
Health
| | Special Precautions | Certificate Required | | Yellow Fever | Yes | 1 | | Cholera | Yes | 2 | | Typhoid and Polio | 3 | N/A | | Malaria | 4 | N/A |
1: A yellow fever certificate is required from travellers over one year of age.
2: Following WHO guidelines issued in 1973, a cholera vaccination certificate is no longer a condition of entry to Chad. However, cholera is a serious risk in this country and precautions are essential. Up-to-date advice should be sought before deciding whether these precautions should include vaccination as medical opinion is divided over its effectiveness. See the Health appendix for more information.
3: Immunisations or boosters for typhoid are recommended.
4: Risk of malaria (and of other insect-borne diseases) exists all year throughout the country. The malignant falciparum form is prevalent. Resistance to chloroquine is reported.
Food & Drink: All water should be regarded as being potentially contaminated. Water used for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice should have first been boiled or otherwise sterilised. Milk is unpasteurised and should be boiled. Powdered or tinned milk is available and is advised, but make sure that it is reconstituted with pure water. Avoid all dairy products. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot. Pork, salad and mayonnaise may carry increased risk. Vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled.
Other risks: Bilharzia (schistosomiasis) is present. Avoid swimming and paddling in fresh water. Swimming pools which are well-chlorinated and maintained are safe. River blindness (onchocerciasis) and sleeping sickness (trypanosomiasis) are also prevalent. Meningococcal meningitis occurs, particularly in the savannah areas during the dry season (March to May). Immunisation against diphtheria and hepatitis B should be considered for longer visits. Hepatitis A and E are widespread in the region. Rabies is present. For those at high risk, vaccination before arrival should be considered. If you are bitten, seek medical advice without delay. For more information, consult the Health appendix.
Health care: Medical facilities are poor, particularly in the north, and health insurance (to include emergency repatriation) is essential.
Travel - International
Note: It is not advisable to travel at all to the Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti provinces. For further advice visitors should contact their local government travel advice department.
AIR: The national airline is Air Tchad (HT). Chad is a shareholder in Air Afrique (RK), which operates one flight a week from Paris to N’Djaména. Air France operates around three flights a week on this route. Other airlines serving Chad include Sudan Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Libyan Arab Airlines and Cameroon Airlines.
Approximate flight times: From N’Djaména to Paris is 5 hours 30 minutes. There are no direct flights or good connections for those travelling from London. Overnight transit costs may be covered by some airlines.
International airports: N’Djaména (NDJ) is 4km (2.5 miles) northwest of the city. Taxis are available. Airport facilities include a post office (24 hours), bank (0600-1100), refreshment and bar, as well as duty-free shops.
Departure tax: CFAfr5000 (tourist tax) and CFAfr3000 (security tax).
RAIL: There is no railway network in Chad. There have been long-standing plans for a rail link with Cameroon but construction is not yet underway.
ROAD: There are routes from the Central African Republic, Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger. The border between Cameroon and Chad is the River Logone, which flows into Lake Chad. Boats ply across the river (there is no bridge). Access from Nigeria is via a sliver of northern Cameroon. There is a road from N’Djaména via Sarh to the Central African Republic. The road from N'Djamena to Maidguri in Niger is paved. Roads can be inaccessible during the rainy season. It is not possible to cross the border from Sudan. Care should be taken when travelling in the area around the border with Cameroon as there have been reports of armed bandits. Bus: Minibuses and bush taxis operate between N’Djaména and Kousséri in Cameroon. Rudimentary public transport is available to the Central African Republic, Nigeria and Niger, although it may be necessary to change vehicles at the border.
Travel - Internal
AIR: At present the only internal flights are chartered by private companies. Enquire at the Direction de la Promotion Touristique for further details; see Contact Addresses section.
ROAD: Travel by road outside N’Djaména is possible by four-wheel-drive vehicle and permits are usually needed. Buses run fairly regularly to Sarh during the dry season. Security conditions and a lack of housing, food, petrol and vehicle repair facilities have resulted in the Government restricting travel, especially in the central and northern areas of the country. Petrol is expensive. Many roads urgently need repair. Traffic drives on the right. Documentation: International Driving Permit required for car hire (which is expensive) as well as an official autorisation de circuler.
URBAN: The city of N’Djaména has an adequate road system and there are limited self-drive and chauffeured car hire facilities. Minibuses and taxis operate in N’Djaména, with a flat fare charged. A ten per cent tip is expected by taxi drivers.
Accommodation
There are several good hotels in N’Djaména, but accommodation elsewhere is very limited. There are some small hotels at Sarh, a modern hotel complex in Zakouma National Park, and various small hunting hotels in the southwest. It is advisable to book in advance and prospective travellers should contact the Embassy in Paris for latest information (see Contact Addresses section).
Introduction
N’DJAMÉNA: Chad’s capital is slowly regaining its pre-war reputation as one of Central Africa’s liveliest cities. Bullet holes in buildings serve as a reminder of troubled times, but the atmosphere here is increasingly upbeat. The historic quarter, with its colourful daily market, is fascinating and a good place to pick up colourful Chadian rugs and jewellery. The National Museum has collections of the Sarh culture dating back to the ninth century. There is a distinctive difference between the Arab section of town (very quiet at night) and the area where the southerners live (lively and full of bars).
ZAKOUMA NATIONAL PARK: This is located on an immense plain across which the Bahr Salamat and its tributaries flow from north to south. Here visitors may view what is left of the wildlife (the area has suffered greatly at the hands of poachers).
LAKE CHAD: This was once the centre of Africa’s lucrative salt trade, but is now shrinking (literally) and sparsely populated. The lake is best seen during the August to December period, when the water level is highest and the occasional hippo or crocodile can be seen drifting by.
SARH: Situated 550km south of N'Djaména, Sarh is Chad’s second largest city and has gained a reputation as a strong sugar-cane and cotton-growing region. Things to see include the small National Museum and the Centre Artisanal, where wood carvings and traditional paintings and embroideries can be purchased.
MOUNDOU: Chad’s up-and-coming city, due to an oil rush from the Doba basin, is known for its Gala Brewery, that produces some of the best beer in the country. Although Moundou lies 400km south of the capital the trip may take up to a day to complete by road.
ABÉCHÉ: Lying 890km east of N'Djaména, Abéché is surrounded by desert. Former capital of the powerful Ouadaï sultanate, the town has retained much of its oriental charm with interesting mosques, cobbled narrow streets and old markets.
TIBESTI MOUNTAINS: Home of the fierce Toubou tribe, this astonishing region of chasms and crags has seldom been seen by non-Muslims and remains closed to travellers. The range is said to be home the best racing camels in the world. The inhabitants are distantly related to the Tuareg of the Western Sahara, and were made famous by Herodotus as the ‘Troglodytes’, stocky but immensely agile cave-dwellers.
Social Profile
Food & Drink: N’Djaména offers a fair selection of restaurants serving mainly French and African food.
Chad’s excellent beer, Gala, is brewed in Moundou and is widely available in the non-Muslim parts of the capital. Standard European-style service is normal. Outside the capital, restaurants tend to be cheap and cheerful and there is an acute shortage of some foodstuffs. Visitors should exercise caution with street market food.
Nightlife: Lively dancing and music is to be found in the capital, where there are an increasing number of nightclubs. Pari-matches take place on most Saturdays and Sundays in N’Djaména (non-Muslim areas): groups of women hire bars and sell drinks all day. Outside N’Djaména, nightlife is limited, although bars and open-air dancing can generally be found.
Shopping: Chad has an excellent crafts industry. Items include camel-hair carpets, all kinds of leatherware, embroidered cotton cloths, decorated calabashes, knives, weapons, pottery and brass animals. Shopping hours: Tues-Sat 0900-1230 and 1600-1930. Food shops open Sunday morning. The market in the capital is open from 0730 until dusk.
Social Conventions: Chadians are a relaxed and friendly people, but respect for traditional beliefs and customs is expected. Dress is informal but conservative in respect of Muslim laws. There is strict segregation of women in the Muslim areas. It is customary to shake hands. The left hand should never be used for offering or accepting food, nor should the sole of the foot be exposed in the presence of a Muslim. Photography: It is necessary to obtain a permit from the Ministry of Information in order to take photographs. Photographing military sites, airports and official buidings may be prohibited even with a permit. Tipping: Ten per cent is normal for most services (US Dollars are the preferred currency).
Business Profile
Economy: Chad is one of the world’s poorest countries, with a per capita annual income of just US$200. Civil war, poor infrastructure, few natural resources and droughts have hampered any development of the economy during the last few decades. Subsistence level farming occupies 70 per cent of the population, producing mainly sorghum, millet and groundnuts. Cotton is the main cash crop. Nonetheless, there is a chronic food shortage which can, in many areas, only be met by international food aid. Agro-industrial operations, most of which are based in the south of the country, dominate the small industrial sector. Mineral deposits including tungsten, tin, bauxite, gold and iron ore have been located: only natron (hydrated sodium carbonate) is mined in commercial quantities. However, the country now has a unique opportunity to transform its economic fortunes following the discovery of large oil deposits in the Doba Basin in the south-west. A 1000km pipeline linking the fields to the Cameroonian port of Kribi (Chad is landlocked) is due on stream in 2003. Chad is expected to earn around US$3 billion over 25 years, which will increase national income by around 50 per cent. France is by far the largest trading partner, followed by Nigeria, The Netherlands, Italy, the USA, the UK, Cameroon and Germany. Chad is a member of the Central African Economic and Customs Union (CEEAC).
Business: A knowledge of French is essential as there are no professional translators available. Best months for business visits are between November and May. Office hours: Mon-Thurs 0700-1530, Fri 0700-1200.
Commercial Information: The following organisation can offer advice: Chambre de Commerce, d’Industrie, d’Agriculture, des Mines et d’Artisanat, 13 avenue du Colonel Moll, BP 458, N’Djaména (tel: 525 264; fax: 520 824).
Climate
Hot, tropical climate, though temperatures vary in different areas. The southern rainy season lasts from May to October and the central rains from June to September. The north has little rain all year. The dry season is often windy and cooler during the evenings.
Required clothing: Linens and tropical waterproof clothing.
History and Government
History: Indications of population around the shores of Lake Chad date back to Neolithic times. The shores were for centuries an important junction for several major trans-Saharan caravan routes. From the 11th to the 15th century, the state of Kanem was the dominant force in the region, occupying much of the area that makes up present-day Chad. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the state of Borno, which had its centre on the other side of Lake Chad (in present-day Nigeria), exercised a major influence. A gradual process of Islamisation took place in the region from this time, especially during the 16th and 17th centuries during the kingdoms of the Bagirmi and Ouaddai. The slave trade was a key component of their economies and as this declined from the early 19th century onwards, so did the kingdoms. In the 1880s, riven by internecine feuding, they were conquered by the Sudanese warlord Rabih al-Zubair. The Europeans arrived a few decades later, in the latter stages of their carve-up of the African continent.
Chad was first defined as a national territory in 1910, as one of the four making up French Equatorial Africa. Chad achieved independence in 1960 with François Tombalbaye, leader of the Parti Progressiste Tchadien (PPT), as Prime Minister. Its history since then has been characterised by political instability and tensions, largely due to religious and cultural divisions between the Muslim north and Christian/animist south - a pattern that may be found in many other African countries, including Nigeria and Sudan.
The northern rebels organised around the Front de Libération Nationale du Tchad (FROLINAT). Tombalbaye was killed in a military coup in 1975 and the new regime sought a settlement with FROLINAT, who refused and three years later launched a successful offensive, which gave them control of the country. Within months of taking power, FROLINAT had split into factions around the movement’s leader and national President Goukouni Oueddei (backed by Libya), and Defence Minister Hissène Habré (backed by the French and subsequently the Americans). Fighting between supporters of the two escalated into full-scale war until 1982 when Habré’s forces captured the capital and installed him as President. Habré’s regime lasted until 1990 when he was overthrown by the former army commander, Idriss Déby.
Since taking power, Déby has managed to stabilise the political situation to some extent and install a working democratic constitution. Déby himself was elected to the Presidency by a comfortable majority in 1996. That result was repeated, despite some complaints over irregularities, at the most recent poll in May 2001. Déby’s political vehicle, the Mouvement Patriotique du Salut (MPS), controls the National Assembly, with a sizeable opposition party in the form of the Union pour le Renouveau et la Démocratie (URD) led by Wadal Abdelkader Kamougue. The main extra-parliamentary opposition is the Mouvement pour la Démocratie and la Justice au Tchad (MDJT), led by Déby’s ex-Defence Minister, Youssouf Toigimi, which launched an armed rebellion in the northern Tibesti region in October 1998. The government has an opportunity to develop the economy of what remains one of the poorest countries in the world, following the discovery of large oil deposits in the south of the country (see Economy section below). The oil factor has heightened interest in Chad – a relative international backwater – from outside. Relations with Paris are bad following the expulsion of the French Ambassador; those with the US and international institutions such as the World Bank (whose financing is essential to the oil project) are little better. Several of Chad’s neighbours, including Gabon and Nigeria, are running out of patience with Déby.
Government: Under the terms of the constitution adopted by national referendum in March 1996, the President is directly elected for a five-year term and holds executive power, assisted by an appointed Prime Minister and Cabinet. Legislative power is vested in a bicameral legislature, comprising the 125-strong National Assembly, which is directly elected a four-year term in a mixture of single-member and multi-member constituencies; and the Senate which is elected for a six-year term (one-third of which is renewed every two years).
Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.
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