Chad: Fear for the life of mediators between FARF and Army

                          Case TCD 041298

The International Secretariat of the OMCT requests your URGENT 
intervention regarding the following situation in Chad.

Brief description of the situation:

The " Association pour les Victimes de la Repression en Exil, 
AVRE ", member of the OMCT network, has expressed its grave 
concern over the safety and integrity of Mr. Amos Reoulengar and 
Mr. Facho Balaam in Chad.

According to the information received, there are plans to 
assassinate Mr. Amos Reoulengar  (former Minister of Economics 
and Finances) and Mr. Facho Balaam (a distinguished veterinary 
professor at the School of Veterinary ).  Following their participation 
as mediators and representatives of civil society in the dialogue 
between the FARF ( a dissident revolutionary branch of the Army ) 
and the Army, they were accused of supporting the FARF. The 
same report maintains that as part of the harassment of the 
persons who participated in this dialogue, they were assaulted.

Furthermore, the execution plan seems also to be related to the 
fact that they are friends of Mr. Souleymane Abdallah, a journalist 
who had to urgently flee the country because of successive 
detention terms, torture and death threats against him.  He also 
had participated as a mediator in the dialogue between the FARF 
and the Army.

Mr. Amos Reoulengar, Mr. Facho Balaam and Mr. Souleymane 
Abdallah 
were part of a group of political studies named " Alternative 94 ".  They 
used to do research on the democratic evolution of Chad. 

Currently Mr. Amos Reoulengar and Mr. Facho Balaam are under 
constant police surveillance.  The International Secretariat fears for their 
lives.

Action requested

Please  write to the authorities of Chad urging them to :

i.  ensure effective protection and take immediate measures to 
    guarantee the physical and psychological integrity and the life 
    of Mr. Amos Reoulengar and Mr. Facho Balaam as well as all 
    persons who participated in the dialogue between the Army and 
    the FARF.

ii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the alleged 
    plans to assassinate Mr. Amos Reoulengar and Mr. Facho 
    Balaam and into the alleged arbitrary detention and torture of 
    Mr. Souleymane Abdallah , in order to identify those 
    responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or 
    administrative sanctions as provided by law;

guaranteethe effective respect of human rights and fundamental 
    freedoms in accordance with national law and in compliance with the 
    State's obligations under the international human rights standards.

Addresses

Président Idriss Déby, Président de la République, Présidence de la 
République BP 74 N'Djaména, République du Tchad, Fax:  +235.514501

Monsieur Limane Mahamat, Ministre de la Justice, Garde des Sceaux, 
Ministère de la Justice
N'Djaména, République du Tchad, Fax: +235.52.5885

Procureur Général de la République, Palais de Justice, N'Djaména, 
République du Tchad
Telegrams:     Procureur Général, N'Djaména, Tchad

Diplomatic representatives of Chad accredited to your country.

Geneva, December 4 1998

The Human Rights Action Network, a part of Derechos Human Rights, distributes appeals on behalf of victims of human rights violations. You are invited to join the network. Please check the date of the present action and do not write if it's over a month old.