A 15 April 1989 article published in Africa Research Bulletin states that Acheikh Ibn Oumar, a former opponent of President Hissène Habré, was appointed Minister of Foreign Relations in March 1989 in the Habré government. Before his appointment, Asheikh Ibn Oumar was president of the Chadian Patriotic Front (FPT) and returned to Ndjamena following a reconciliation agreement signed in Baghdad between the FPT and the Chadian government. On Ibn Oumar's background, the report says that:

Acheikh Ibn Oumar comes from the Abeche region whose black Muslim population calls itself Arab. Then a young intellectual with guerrilla experience, he was an Education Minister in the original GUNT [Transitional Government of National Unity or Gouvernement d'unité nationale de transition] put together by the OAU at Lagos and Kano [Nigeria] under Goukhouni's [Goukhouni Oueddei] presidency from 1979-82. It was a job in name only as there were no resources to spare for social services, all goods and money going to the war effort.

He inherited leadership of the CDR [Democratic Revolutionary Council, or Conseil démocratique et révolutionnaire] following the accidental death of its boss, Ahmat Acyl, reputedly "pro-Libyan" but with close personal connections in France.

Leadership of the CDR gave him clout in exiled GUNT affairs as the movement disputed the countryside around Abeche (and neighbouring regions of Sudan) with Hissene Habre's men. As Goukhouni became fatigued by the burdens of leadership under Libyan tutelage, and eventually, under pressure from his followers, fell out with the Libyans, Acheikh became increasingly prominent and briefly replaced Goukhouni as GUNT president (ibid., 9207-08).

In January 1991, Ibn Oumar was apointed "special advisor" to President Idriss Deby (ibid. Jan. 1991, 9731)

A 11 April 1995 RFI report states that Acheikh Ibn Oumar, "ex-minister of foreign affairs under Hissene Habré and ex-colleague of Chad president Idriss Deby", set up in 1995, while in exile, a rebel movement called the National Consultative Body for Unity and Peace (Concertation nationale pour l'Unité et la paix, CNUP) jointly with Colonel Mahamat Garfa, former chief of staff of the Chad armed forces and Major Adoum Yacoub who led the Hissene Habré branch of the Movement for Democracy and Development (MDD).

In April 1999, Acheikh Ibn Oumar's CDR joined forces with Youssouf Togoimi's Movement for Democracy and Justice (Mouvement pour la démocratie et la justice) and Moussa Medella's and the Movement for Developpement and Democracy (Mouvement pour la démocratie et le développement, MDD) which became the Movement for Unity and the Republic (MUR), (IRIN 14 Feb. 2000; RFI 20 Apr. 1999; ibid. 11 Feb. 2000).

No further information on Acheikh Ibn Oumar, his family, activities and whereabouts, or his personal background, could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Africa Research Bulletin [Oxford, UK]. January 1991. "Chad: Curfew Lifted."

_____. 15 April 1989. "Chad: Former Opposition Leader Appointed Foreign Minister."

United Nations Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN). 14 February 2000. "Chad: Rebel Groups form Military, Political Alliance." http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN/wqa/countrystories/chad/20000214.htm [Accessed 8 Aug. 2000]

Radio France Internationale (RFI). 11 February 2000. "Chad: Rebel Groups Form Political, Military Alliance." (BBC Summary 12 Feb. 2000/NEXIS)

_____. 21 April 1999. Chad: Three Rebel Movements Decide to Join Forces. (BBC Summary 21 Apr. 1999/NEXIS)

_____. 11 Apr. 1995. "Chad: Former Foreign Minister Acheikh Ibn Oumar on his New Movement, Transition period." (BBC Summary 11 Apr. 1995/NEXIS)

IRB databases

REFWORLD

Internet sources including:

Africa Confidential [London]

Chad: A Country Study. Library of Congress Area Handbooks

Fédération Internationale des Droits de l'Homme (FIDH)

Relief Web

World News Connection (WNC)

Oral source:

One oral source could not be reached within the research deadlines.