Chad wants oil money for arms
2006-04-19 17:24
Paris - Chad wants to use money from oil sales to buy weapons and is expecting a new arms delivery in the next few days, Chadian President Idriss Deby said in a newspaper interview published on Wednesday.
Chadian rebels attacked the capital last week, and have vowed to disrupt a presidential poll on May 3 - in which Deby is standing for a third term after 16 years in power.
Deby has accused neighbouring Sudan of funding and arming the rebels. He said Chad needed the weapons to defend itself.
Deby told France's Le Figaro daily newspaper: "Which country in the world wouldn't want to buy arms to defend itself if it had the money? Why shouldn't Chad be allowed?
"We are going to buy weapons. We're going to do it openly. In the next two days these arms will arrive."
The World Bank froze the country's royalties from oil production last week. It said Chad had breached an agreement that required some of the revenues to be spent on programmes to help the poor.
Asked if Chad wanted to use the blocked money to buy weapons, Deby said: "That's right."
'World Bank makes Chad poor'
In an interview with France's Le Monde newspaper, Deby blamed the World Bank for the economic woes of his impoverished country.
Referring to his government's general plans for spending, Deby said: "The sum we want to use is smaller than what the World Bank spends each day on communication.
"The only one responsible for our economic difficulties is the World Bank. The crisis was provoked by the World Bank turning off the tap to our finances."
The bank provided financial support for a $3.7bn pipeline carrying crude to the Gulf of Guinea for export. It was touted as a test case for oil revenue management in Africa.
The pipeline, which produces 160 000 to 170 000 barrels a day, is operated by United States oil majors Exxon Mobil, Chevron and Malaysia's Petronas.
Chad has threatened to halt oil production unless the royalties are released by the end of the month.
Spokesperson for France's foreign ministry, Jean-Baptiste Mattei, urged the two sides to come to an agreement: "We continue to hope that the World Bank and the authorities in Chad will pursue dialogue on the use of oil resources that leads to an agreement that is satisfactory to both parties."