New details about President Kaka s break with the US have emerged as the election exposes some of the political manoeuvring within the elite, The campaigning which culminated in national elections on 6 May proved livelier than expected. Yet nobody doubts that President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno Kaka will win, probably with over 50%, removing the need for a second round on 22 June. The aftermath is likely to prove the much greater challenge than the prelude as he attempts to juggle east and west in his international relations.
As the security threats multiply and international troops are forced out, the military rulers in the Sahel have equivocated about their commitments to restoring civilian rule
, The promise of electoral contests to restore constitutional and nominally civilian rule will be a key issue across much of West and West-Central Africa this year, and particularly in the continuing battle of wills between Sahelian military regimes and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Focused on consolidating power, the junta leader is bringing rivals into the tent and trying to avoid more entanglements in Sudan, The devastating war in Sudan and awkward relations with France and the United Arab Emirates are casting a long shadow over Chad this year as its military leader Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno Kaka prepares the ground for elections, set for October, which he hopes will legitimise his rule.
Paris needs Ndjamena s cooperation more than ever after the rupture of its ties with Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, The worsening regional crisis triggered by the war in Sudan and Chad s own national reconciliation process dominated the visit of President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno Kaka to Paris last month. After the crises in its relations with Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, France sees Chad s current leader as its key security interlocutor in the region.
, Opposition leader Succès Masra and his party, Les Transformateurs, have taken on the K-Street lobby shop, Scribe Strategies, led by Republican operative Joseph Szlavik, one of the most popular Africa-focused outfits in Washington.