GO CHAD

Tibesti massif include in Borkou region. The Tibesti massif lies in northern Chad, adjacent to the border with libya. The massif rises to over 3,000 m at several points, with peaks at Pic Tousside (3,315 m) and Emi Koussi (3,415 m). At a number of places in the massif there is conspicuous surface water, both in permanent pools (gueltas), found among the rocks and ravines, and also in the seasonal watercourses which flow following rain. Some of the wadis are bordered by Acacia spp. and elsewhere most areas are vegetated either with sparse scrub or annual grasses such as Cornulaca monacantha. The rainfall, such as it is, usually occurs between February and May, but is unpredictable both in timing and amount. The height of the Tibesti massif means that it receives rather more rainfall than neighbouring areas of the Sahara, but any reduction in rainfall will seriously affect the vegetation and water-bodies which are an important factor in maintaining the conservation value of the site.
(more…)

Chad Short History

The area around Lake Chad has been inhabited since at least 500 B.C. In the 8th century A.D. , Berbers began migrating to the area. Islam arrived in 1085, and by the 16th century a trio of rival kingdoms flourished: the Kanem-Bornu, Baguirmi, and Ouaddaï. During the years 1883–1893, all three kingdoms came under the rule of the Sudanese conqueror Rabih al-Zubayr. In 1900, Rabih was overthrown by the French, who absorbed these kingdoms into the colony of French Equatorial Africa, as part of Ubangi-Shari (now the Central African Republic), in 1913. In 1946, the territory, now known as Chad, became an autonomous republic within the French Community.

Chad, part of France’s African holdings until 1960, endured three decades of civil warfare as well as invasions by Libya before a semblance of peace was finally restored in 1990. The government eventually drafted a democratic constitution and held flawed presidential elections in 1996 and 2001. In 1998, a rebellion broke out in northern Chad, which has sporadically flared up despite several peace agreements between the government and the rebels. In 2005, new rebel groups emerged in western Sudan and made probing attacks into eastern Chad despite signing peace agreements in December 2006 and October 2007. Power remains in the hands of an ethnic minority. In June 2005, President Idriss DEBY held a referendum successfully removing constitutional term limits and won another controversial election in 2006. Sporadic rebel campaigns continued throughout 2006 and 2007. The capital experienced a significant rebel threat in early 2008.
(more…)