Chad

1883-93
Sudanese adventurer Rabih al-Zubayr conquers the Chadian
kingdoms of Ouadai, Baguirmi and Kanem-Bornu.

1900
France defeats al-Zubayr's army.

1913
French conquest of Chad completed.
Chad becomes a colony within French Equatorial Africa.

1946
Chad becomes a French overseas territory with its own territorial
parliament and 'representation' in the French National Assembly.

1960
Chad becomes independent w/ southern Christian,
Francois  Tombalbaye, as president.
Later, he changes his name to Ngarta.

1963
Ban on political parties triggers rebellion in the Muslim north,
led by the Chadian National Liberation Front, or Frolinat.

1966
Northern revolt develops into a fully-fledged guerrilla war.

1973
French troops help put down the northern revolt, but Frolinat
continues guerrilla operations throughout the 1970s and 1980s
with the help of weapons supplied by Libya.

1975
Tombalbaye deposed and killed in coup led
by another southern Christian, Felix Malloum.

1977
Libya annexes the northern Chadian Aouzou strip.

1979
Malloum forced to flee the country; a coalition govt. headed
by a Muslim northerner, Goukouni Oueddei, assumes power.

1980
Libya sends in troops to support Oueddei in his fight against the
Army of the North, led by a former prime minister, Hissen Habre.

1981
Libyan troops withdraw at Oueddei's request.

1982
Habre's troops capture the capital, N'Djamena.

1983
Organization of African Unity recognizes Habre's government.
 Oueddei's forces continue resistance in the north with Libya's help.

1987
The combined troops of Frolinat and the Chadian Govt,
w/ French and US assistance, force Libya out of the
northern region except the Aouzou strip and parts of Tibesti.

1990
Habre toppled after his army is defeated by rebels of the Sudan-
based and Libyan-backed Patriotic Salvation Movement,
led by a former Habre ally, Idriss Deby.

1993
National democracy conference sets up a transitional government w/
Deby as interim president and calls for free elections within a year.

1994
International Court of Justice rejects Libyan claims on
Aouzou and rules that Chad had sovereignty over the strip.

1996
Deby wins Chad's first multiparty presidential election.

1997
Deby's Patriotic Salvation Movement triumphs on legislative elections.

1998
The Movement for Democracy and Justice in Chad, led by Deby's former
Defence Minister, Youssouf Togoimi, starts it's rebellion against the govt.

July 2000
Rebels of the Movement for Democracy and Justice in Chad (MDJC) claim
they captured the key govt. garrison town of Bardai in the north.

Jan. 2001
President Deby urges MDJC rebels to end their revolt,
amid continuing heavy fighting with govt. troops
 KIAs include the deputy commander of the presidential security guards.

3/20/2001
Court of appeal in Senegal upholds ruling that former Chadian President Habre should not be made to stand trial in Senegal, where he is in exile.
It decided that Senegal's courts do not have the jurisdiction to try
Habre on torture charges during his eight years in power in Chad.

5/28/2001
Deby announced the winner in presidential election which was held
on 20 May. 6 unsuccessful presidential candidates are picked
up for questioning by police and then released an hour later.

Africa