Oil, water and blood. In Central Africa the three mix into one volatile cocktail. I came to Chad two weeks ago to understand how a rapidly expanding civil conflict, pitting tribal rebels versus repressive regimes in three countries -- Chad, Sudan and the Central African
Republic -- is exacerbated by Central Africa's growing oil reserves and dwindling supplies of natural resources, especially water and wood.
I'm not the only one who's interested in Chad. The U.S.
government and private American citizens are the biggest donors to
Chad's enormous refugee society -- half a million displaced people plus thousands of aid workers spending hundreds of millions of donated dollars per year. And the European Union has picked Chad to test out its growing military might. 4,000 peacekeepers are deploying to protect refugees and aid workers.
But these peacekeepers wisely have chosen not to intervene in Chad's ongoing rebellion. It's a brutal war in which the two sides are nearly indistinguishable to outsiders ...
and sometimes to each other. Last week, I got caught in crossfire as the Chadian army [chased itself around the eastern town of Abeche for two hours](http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jun/26/gunbattle-erupts-in-chad/?page=1).
And guess who's my biggest concern as I'm out reporting on Chad's humanitarian and security crises? The same trigger-happy Chadian army, that's who.
(Photo: me)
