Idriss Déby was the first Chadian President to visit Germany, underlined Chancellor Angela Merkel after their meeting in the Federal Chancellery. This opens a new chapter in relations between the two countries. As well as bilateral relations, their talks focused on the situation in the region and cooperation with the African continent.

Humanitarian aid for Chad

The Chancellor reported on the many joint initiatives that the two countries aim to undertake, "Germany will provide 8.9 million euros in addition to its existing commitments, in order to offer additional support to address problems in the water and food sectors." Given Chad’s difficult geographical situation, bordering on Libya in the north, as well as Sudan and the Lade Chad region, this is very important.

President Idriss Déby stressed that, in view of the country’s difficult financial and economic situation, Chad needs Germany as an important partner. "We have taken in 800,000 refugees from Darfur, from the Central African Republic, from Nigeria, and from the Niger, and then there are our own internally displaced persons." The activities of Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region have also provoked a humanitarian disaster there.

Developing economic relations

The Chancellor stressed that there are currently no economic and business relations between Germany and Chad. Neither German businesses nor the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau are engaged in Chad. Efforts will now be made to achieve significant progress here in future.

Chad’s President declared, "I would like to encourage German businesses to come to Chad and to invest here. I hope that the door is now open and that we will be coming to Berlin frequently."

Angela Merkel stressed that in view of the dramatic rate of population growth, the efforts of the President to empower women and improve schooling for all children, especially girls, is an important signal for development on the African continent. She underscored the fact that the legislation making it legal for girls to marry only as of the age of 18 is "an important contribution to enabling women to take charge of their own lives".

Fight against terrorism and illegal migration

Commenting on the fight of the African states against terrorist threats, Angela Merkel declared, "The European Union has made available 50 million euros to support these efforts, and first achievements can already be seen in connection with the mission to tackle Boko Haram."

The Chancellor stressed that Germany has a duty to support the African states including Chad within the framework of missions and in terms of equipment "both through the United Nations budget and assistance for the African Union".

Germany is working very closely with Chad within the scope of the MINUSMA mission, in which Chad is playing a particularly important part in implementing the peace agreement in Mali. "German soldiers are performing reconnaissance work in Mali while Chadian soldiers are responsible for implementing the peace agreement on the ground".

Looking to the process of forming a government of national accord in Libya, the Chancellor said, "I am happy that the President has expressly praised the work of the German UN special envoy Martin Kobler, and that he is involved in all efforts to form a government of national accord."

In terms of illegal migration, from Chad, Mali and the Niger, as a result of the long land border to Libya, Angela Merkel underlined the fact that, "In this context the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy has put in place a G5 Sahel Strategy so that we always see the five Sahel nations Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Mali, the Niger and Chad in context."

Stronger partnership with the Africa Union

The Chancellor stressed that in view of the global problems and challenges, cooperation with Africa must be put on a broader footing in future. "The partnership between Europe and Africa is an issue on which Germany would like to play a major role and on which we will be stepping up our commitment."

President Idriss Déby declared, "Germany has a place on the black continent as a major partner – that is important for the future of the continent."

In 1960 Germany was the second European country, after France, to establish diplomatic relations with Chad. Germany’s development cooperation with Chad focuses on humanitarian aid and transitional assistance, regional development projects and measures in the field of human rights and conflict prevention. In 2015 a sum of 5.66 million euros was provided in the form of humanitarian aid, and since 2010 a total of more than 23 million euros has been provided in transitional assistance.