Civil War Starts & Col. Gaddafi Annexes the Aouzou Strip
The
FROLINAT then launched and intensified guerrilla war; and in only two
years, the rebels had gained control of most of Chad. Convinced that
the fall of his rule was much imminent, President Tombalbaye asked
France to intervene militarily. French troops were despatched to Chad
in 1968 and 1969 and remained there until 1972. But, all along, the
FROLINAT continued waging its civil war, largely funded by Col. Gaddafi
of Libya.
In 1971, there was a coup attempt at the country's capital, N'djamena.
President Tombalbaye accused Col. Gaddafi of having fomented the coup
attempt, and Chad broke off diplomatic relations with Libya. Col.
Gaddafi retaliated by officially recognising and equipping the
FROLINAT. In 1972, President Tombalbaye unsuccessfully sought
reconciliation with Col. Gaddafi. Tombalbaye then propped up his shaky
position by appointing several northerners to his cabinet.
In 1972, following the death of Ibrahim Abatcha in action, Hissene
Habre-the Paris-educated political scientist cum-lawyer, and a
first-class guerrilla leader with no formal military training - became
the leader of the FROLINAT. His deputy became his fellow Toubou
tribesman, Goukouni Oueddei-son of Sultan Oueddei Kedefemi, the then
exiled traditional ruler of the Toubou tribe.
The following year (1973), Libya annexed the controversial Aouzou strip
in northern Chad- a strip rich in manganese and uranium. In annexing
the mineral- rich region. Col. Gaddafi said that the region had been
Libyan territory all along despite the "unlawful" Franco- Italian
treaty of 1935 which gave the strip to France. Hissene Habre refused to
sanction the annexation despite the massive aid the FROLINAT was
receiving from Libya.
National Movements and New States in Africa