ABSTRACT

Chad, an independent African state since 1960, has proved one of the least viable. It has been sustained politically and financially from the outset. The increasing politicization of Chad s population in the period 1946-1962 was complicated by the awareness of fundamental regional, religious, and ethnic differences. Chad has been one of the African states whose viability has been questioned since its formal independence. Like other states of trans-Saharan Africa, Chad suffers from problems of size, shape, and geographical location. The first documented conflict between post-independence government forces and a segment of the Chadian population was in 1962 when a clash occurred between security forces and the Balala tribe. The year 1977 ushered in a new political configuration in Chad's internal politics and international relations. New developments occurred in Chad throughout the summer of 1980, most notably, the signing of a mutual defence treaty between Goukouni and Colonel Qadafi. The Chadian state has experienced empirical disintegration combined with juridical disintegration.