Throughout early 2013 the nations of the Central African Republic (CAR), Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)and Mali have witnessed the usual “ghost warriors,” whereby central states appear illusionary. Of course, the developments throughout early 2013 are following similar paths because of many past assaults against central forces even if certain developments are new. The collapse of Libya after the overthrow of Colonel Gaddafi is still sending shockwaves throughout parts of Africa and the Middle East. Therefore, the “illusion of nation states” is once more rearing its head while in Libya it was a self-made failed state based on the whims of outside forces. In modern day Mali you currently have multinational forces being led by France which are attacking Islamist forces. Much of the chaos in Mali was instigated by genuine ethnic concerns in the north, the internal political chaos, weakness of central forces and other important factors which enabled many vacuums to take place. Thereby, the failed state of Libya became the” negative icing on the cake.” The Libya angle applies to enormous military hardware being available and the failed state reality whereby ethnic and religious forces entered the failed political landscape of Mali. Therefore, once Islamists got the upper hand against ethnic forces in Mali and decided to consolidate their powerbase further south; then Islamists “crossed a line” that France wasn’t willing to accept. However, given the nature of Islamist tactics in Afghanistan and Somalia, and other parts of the world; then it would appear that the proposed pull-out by France is too soon. After all, multinational forces and the central government still appear weak without France playing a leading role despite the professionalism within elite Chad military units. Indeed, the role of Chad in Mali and the CAR can’t be underestimated because they have many strings to pull in both nations for very different reasons. Irrespective of the reasons why Chad deployed their 1,800 soldiers in Kidal, it appears that it wasn’t a coincidence because they are on the frontline in northern Mali in the fight against Islamist forces. To the north of Kidal you have the Ifoghas highlands which have become a place to regroup for many Islamists because they couldn’t fight the French led multinational forces head on. Therefore, the armed forces of Chad understood the need to flush out Islamists in this part of Mali however the terrain makes this difficult. Despite this, the Chadian forces showed their tenaciousness when they lost 13 soldiers during intense fighting while killing at least 65 Islamists. The role of Chad in the CAR remains shrouded in mystery at the moment because in the past this nation became involved in the internal affairs of this country. Recently the capital Bangui in the CAR fell to the rebel Seleka movement therefore now you have international political limbo and confusion on the ground. President Francois Bozize before fleeing the CAR had appealed to France and other nations to help him stem the tide against Seleka. However, France is much more concerned about events in Mali, Syria and Tunisia – likewise, regional powers are involved in many disputes and are concerned about other developments. This notably applies to the DRC, Mali, Somali, Sudan-South Sudan tensions, Somali and other regional issues. Francois Hollande, the President of France, stated that “If we have a presence, it’s not to protect a regime, it’s to protect our nationals and our interests and in no way to intervene in the internal business of a country, in this case the Central African Republic…Those days are over.” Obviously, Hollande was uttering language manipulation because France is involving itself in Mali and Syria, to different levels, just like this nation involved itself in Libya. This reality means that Hollande had forewarned Bozize that he was alone when it came to political elites in Paris. Seleka fully understood the situation therefore they pushed on and took the capital of the CAR. The reported 5,000 Seleka troops faced little stern resistance when they entered Bangui and the rebel leader, Michel Djotodia, is intent on pressing home the advantage of this movement in the CAR. Djotodia stated “I consider it necessary to suspend the November 27, 2004 constitution, to dissolve parliament as well as the government…During this transition period which will lead us to free, credible and transparent elections, I will legislate by decree…We will lead the people of Central African Republic during a three-year transition period, in accordance with the Libreville Accord.” Bozize, however, is very angry and he is pointing the finger at Chad despite the irony because this nation had helped him in the past. Deutsche Welle reports that “At a summit of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) held in the Chadian capital N’Djamena, regional leaders refused to recognize Michel Djotodia as the new president of the Central African Republic (CAR). Following a coup, in which Djotodia’s rebel Seleka coalition ousted elected president Francois Bozize in late March, the African Union suspended the Central African Republic.” Rumors are indicating that you had a Chadian role but just like the crisis in the DRC it is very difficult to see through the “heavy forest.” It is clear that mercenaries from many nations were involved in the Seleka advance but the role of covert operatives is still up in the air. Also, you clearly did have mass discontent within the CAR and it is too early to negatively write off the current forces in the capital of this nation. Chad, like France, is equally distracted by events in Mali therefore this may be the reason for taking a back seat. After all, no nation can afford to become overstretched and clearly the political leadership in Chad needs to focus on many internal and external concerns. Therefore, while a murky role may have been played by Chad it would appear that this was more limited than in the past. In this sense, Bozize is seeking a way out from the reality on the ground and the delicate predicament faced by nations because of so much chaos throughout the region. In Mali, yet another conflict whereby murky outside forces are involved; some sources have pointed the finger at Qatar. Likewise, the role of Gulf nations in funding Salafi indoctrination, irrespective if through educational facilities, charities and other underhanded means; is a real problem for the Middle East, North Africa and parts of West Africa. France itself is involved in the many ratlines against Syria therefore it is a bit rich for this nation to point the finger solely at Gulf nations. Either the “field is played by honest brokers” or by “opportunists.” In this sense, France, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Kingdom and America all apply to being “opportunists”- but in Mali the same forces are at loggerheads. France 24 reported “The first accusations of Qatari involvement with Tuareg separatists and Islamist groups came in a June 2012 article in respected French weekly the Canard Enchainé.” “In a piece titled ‘Our friend Qatar is financing Mali’s Islamists,’ the newspaper alleged that the oil-rich Gulf state was financing the separatists.” “It quoted an unnamed source in French military intelligence saying: “The MNLA [secular Tuareg separatists], al Qaeda-linked Ansar Dine and MUJAO [movement for unity and Jihad in West Africa] have all received cash from Doha.” The article continued by stating that “A month later Sadou Diallo, the mayor of the north Malian city of Gao [which had fallen to the Islamists] told RTL radio: “The French government knows perfectly well who is supporting these terrorists. Qatar, for example, continues to send so-called aid and food every day to the airports of Gao and Timbuktu.” Of course, the changing sands can easily witness new events which unfold suddenly and now Hollande faces a political scandal in France. It is too early to say what the consequences of this will be but like Mali you have no quick fix and soon France may have to change its tactic in this country because the current policy seems too short-sighted. After all, in the last few days several Islamists have launched fresh attacks in several parts of northern Mali. Therefore, while the military forces of Chad can be trusted it is clear that past multinational forces have had a very mixed outcome. In a past article by Modern Tokyo Times related to many events involving France it was stated that “In Tunisia the secular leader Chokri Belaid was recently assassinated and clearly Islamists hope to change the dynamics of Tunisian society. Likewise, sectarian and Islamist forces in Syria desire to crush the rich mosaic of this nation. Therefore, it is high time for France to turn away from the feudal monarchies of the Gulf which are involved in sectarian and Islamist funding. After all, it is pointless for French soldiers to fight alongside various African nations in Mali if their own government is siding with Islamist forces in Syria – or supporting other forces which will weaken Syria and open up the way for Islamization based on sectarianism.” The only current certainty is that events in the CAR and Mali highlight the role of France and Chad within the regional dynamics of this part of Africa. On the one hand you have international jihadists in northern Mali – and on the other hand you have “ghost warriors” fighting for a mixture of factors, and not solely commercial. However, the one major difference between Mali and the CAR is that in Mali you have “a civilizational war,” whereby indigenous Islam is facing the brutal harshness of Gulf Islam which seeks to replace Sufi Islam and to destroy ancient black African Islamic architecture. Chad is also deeply concerned about this reality and the same applies to Nigeria which is facing a major Islamist insurrection in parts of the country. http://www.dw.de/questions-remain-over-chads-role-in-car-coup/a-16721426 http://www.france24.com/en/20130121-qatar-mali-france-ansar-dine-mnla-al-qaeda-sunni-islam-doha http://www.france24.com/en/20130223-northern-mali-clashes-chad-soldiers-islamist-rebels-killed http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21555898 leejay@moderntokyotimes.com http://moderntokyotimes.com