“Chad is the most strategic country in the Sahel, crucial for guaranteeing political and social balance in the region”: Giovanni Ottati, president of Confindustria Assafrica and Mediterraneo, said today, opening a meeting of executives, experts and economic operators in Rome.
Regarding the appointment, dedicated specifically to Chad, Ottati spoke of “historical event”. “This country has 13 million inhabitants and is home to 800,000 refugees, about 7-8% of its population”, explained the president of Assafrica, underlining the weight of the Sahel conflicts, from Mali to Sudan.
“The headquarters of the French mission Barkhane is in N’Djamena”, emphasized Ottati: “Paris has chosen Chad as the basis for the deployment of important forces to fight the Islamic terrorism of Boko Haram”. Moreover, according to Ottati, “Chad has obtained international recognition for its cooperation with the United States in the field of security”.
Many, however, also the challenges of an economic nature. “The United States today is the first trading partner and alone absorbs half of Chad’s exports, mostly made up of oil,” emphasized Ottati.
Convinced, then, that “diversification” is one of the nodes. “Despite the efforts of President Idriss Deby – said Ottati – the economy remains too dependent on oil and Chad still has no further production sectors”.
Source: Assafrica
