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US mediator arrives in Chad for talks on oil revenues
AFP
NDJAMENA
Petroleumworld.com 04 25 06A senior US diplomat arrived in Ndjamena on Monday for talks aimed at finding a solution to the row between Chad and the World Bank over oil revenues.
Donald Yamamoto, deputy assistant secretary of state for African affairs, will meet the Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno and opposition figures during his two-day visit, which seeks a way out of a crisis that could see Chad suspend its oil production from the end of April.
"We hope his coming will move things forward," Chadian Oil Minister Mahamat Nasser told AFP.
"He said he would try to find a compromise between the World Bank and Chad."
A Chadian delegation headed by Finance Minister Abbas Mahamat Tolli recently had informal contacts with the bank, described as "very positive", on the sidelines of its spring meeting in Washington.
"There was a communication defict, but now it has been restablished," said Chad's ambassador to Washington Mahamoud Adam Beshir who said he hoped for a solution "in the near future."
Chad, which produces 200,000 barrels of oil a day, originally threatened to suspend production from April 18 after the World Bank blocked 124 million dollars (100 million euros) of oil revenues held in a British bank account.
The bank took the step after Chad unilaterally modified bank-sponsored legislation governing the management of oil revenues, considered a model of good governance.
Adopted in 1999 the legislation was backed by the bank in return for finance for the pipeline linking Chad to the Cameroonian port of Kribi.
It provides for the creation of a fund for future generations into which 10 percent of oil revenues are paid. The government abolished the fund, without hiding that it planned to use part of the money to pay for weapons to counter the rebellion that threatens the rule of Deby.
Chad later put back the deadline to the end of the month to allow the United States time to mediate.
The United States embassy said Yamamoto would also meet with Chad's foreign minister, Ahmat Allami, and with opposition members.
"The United States will be the losers if we stop production," said Nasser, pointing out that Chad's oil is produced by a US-Malaysian consortium. "That is why they are trying to find common ground for an understanding."
"The Americans are not neutral mediators," said Gilbert Maoundonodji, of a non-governmental organisation that seeks to ensure that the Chadian people benefit from the oil revenues.
"They have not intervened to settle the basic problems but only to protect their interests."
He said the rebel attack on N'Djamena on April 13 had spurred Washington into action "because its vital interests are targeted."
"They felt the threat of the tap being turned off," he said, at a time when "oil prices are soaring" and the Americans have made Africa one of their sources of supply for the future."
As well as the oil crisis, Yamamoto is expected to discuss the political and security situation in Chad.
Yamamoto's visit comes just 10 days before the presidential elections of May 3, which are boycotted by the opposition, and less than two weeks after the rebel assault on the capital Ndjamena.
AFP 04 24 06 1519 GMTCopyright © 1994-2006 Agence France-Presse. All Rights Reserved.
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