Chad–Romania relations
Encyclopedia
Chad–Romania relations were established on 15 July 1969. However, neither country has an embassy in the other's capital, and although an agreement on trade was signed in 1969, followed by an agreement on economic and technical cooperation in 1971, , the volume of bilateral trade remained insignificant.
In November 2007, Romania announced that they would deploy 120 troops to Chad and the Central African Republic
in connection with a European Union peacekeeping mission
there. Romania continued to condemn violence in Chad and blamed it on rebel groups. However, by mid-2008, Romanian defence minister Teodor Meleşcanu
indicated that his country would not send further troops to the mission in Chad, stating that they had reached their limits and did not want involvement in a war theatre.
In December 2008, Romanian national Marin Cioroianu was arrested in Harghita County
, Romania in connection with the July 2007 murder of Brahim Déby
, the son of Chadian president Idriss Déby
, in a Paris parking garage. Déby's attackers had fired arrows at him, tackled him, and attacked him with fire extinguisher
foam, leading to death by asphyxiation. DNA in a glove taken from Cioroianu's car matched DNA collected at the murder scene. However, due to Interpol
's French office lacking funds to pay for his extradition to France, Cioroianu remained in custody in Romania.
in 1960, after it achieved independence from France. At that time, the Chad and Romanian flags were distinguishable by the Coat of Arms of the Socialist Republic of Romania
at the Romanian flag's
centre. However, in 1989, the coat of arms was removed entirely after the revolution
which overthrew Nicolae Ceauşescu
.
In 2004, there were unconfirmed media reports that Chad had called on the United Nations
to look into the issue, prompting then-Romanian president
Ion Iliescu
to make a public statement that his country would not give up the flag. BBC News
quoted Iliescu as stating that "The tricolour belongs to us. We will not give up the tricolour."
In November 2007, Romania announced that they would deploy 120 troops to Chad and the Central African Republic
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...
in connection with a European Union peacekeeping mission
United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad
The United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad was a United Nations peacekeeping mission established by the United Nations Security Council on September 25, 2007 to provide a multidimensional presence of up to 350 police and military personnel to eastern Chad and north-eastern...
there. Romania continued to condemn violence in Chad and blamed it on rebel groups. However, by mid-2008, Romanian defence minister Teodor Meleşcanu
Teodor Melescanu
Teodor Viorel Meleşcanu is a Romanian politician, diplomat and jurist. Currently serving as senator for the National Liberal Party , he was Minister of Defense between 2007 and 2008, and Minister of Foreign Affairs between 1992 and 1996...
indicated that his country would not send further troops to the mission in Chad, stating that they had reached their limits and did not want involvement in a war theatre.
In December 2008, Romanian national Marin Cioroianu was arrested in Harghita County
Harghita County
Harghita is a county in the center of Romania, in eastern Transylvania, with the county seat at Miercurea-Ciuc.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 326,222 and a population density of 52/km².*Hungarians- 85%...
, Romania in connection with the July 2007 murder of Brahim Déby
Brahim Déby
Brahim Déby Itno was the son of current Chadian President Idriss Déby.Brahim attended the University of Ottawa in Canada as a foreign exchange student and graduated in 2004 with a degree in business administration...
, the son of Chadian president Idriss Déby
Idriss Déby
General Idriss Déby Itno is the President of Chad and the head of the Patriotic Salvation Movement. Déby is of the Bidyat clan of the Zaghawa ethnic group. He added "Itno" to his surname in January 2006.-Rise to power:...
, in a Paris parking garage. Déby's attackers had fired arrows at him, tackled him, and attacked him with fire extinguisher
Fire extinguisher
A fire extinguisher or extinguisher, flame entinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations...
foam, leading to death by asphyxiation. DNA in a glove taken from Cioroianu's car matched DNA collected at the murder scene. However, due to Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
's French office lacking funds to pay for his extradition to France, Cioroianu remained in custody in Romania.
Closeness of flags
The flags of Romania and Chad are nearly identical. Chad began to use its present flagFlag of Chad
The national flag of the Republic of Chad is a vertical tricolor consisting of a blue, a yellow and a red field. Blue was substituted for green to avoid confusion with neighboring states. The basic design is the same as that of the flag of Romania, the flag of Andorra, the flag of Moldova, and...
in 1960, after it achieved independence from France. At that time, the Chad and Romanian flags were distinguishable by the Coat of Arms of the Socialist Republic of Romania
Coat of arms of Romania
The coat of arms of Romania was adopted in the Romanian Parliament on 10 September 1992 as a representative coat of arms for Romania. It is based on the Lesser Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Romania , redesigned by Victor Dima. As a central element it shows a golden aquila holding a cross in its...
at the Romanian flag's
Flag of Romania
The national flag of Romania is a tricolour with vertical stripes: beginning from the flagpole, blue, yellow and red. It has a width-length ratio of 2:3....
centre. However, in 1989, the coat of arms was removed entirely after the revolution
Romanian Revolution of 1989
The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a series of riots and clashes in December 1989. These were part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several Warsaw Pact countries...
which overthrew Nicolae Ceauşescu
Nicolae Ceausescu
Nicolae Ceaușescu was a Romanian Communist politician. He was General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and as such was the country's second and last Communist leader...
.
In 2004, there were unconfirmed media reports that Chad had called on the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
to look into the issue, prompting then-Romanian president
President of Romania
The President of Romania is the head of state of Romania. The President is directly elected by a two-round system for a five-year term . An individual may serve two terms...
Ion Iliescu
Ion Iliescu
Ion Iliescu served as President of Romania from 1990 until 1996, and from 2000 until 2004. From 1996 to 2000 and from 2004 until his retirement in 2008, Iliescu was a Senator for the Social Democratic Party , whose honorary president he remains....
to make a public statement that his country would not give up the flag. BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
quoted Iliescu as stating that "The tricolour belongs to us. We will not give up the tricolour."
External links
- Statement about the flag issue from the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (in Romanian)