Chad president names film-maker culture, tourism minister

Chad’s President Idriss Deby has named award-winning arthouse movie director Mahamat Saleh Haroun as minister of culture, tourism and crafts as part of a government reshuffle.

The nominations announced by the presidency late Sunday follow the departures of Foreign Minister Moussa Faki Mahmat, last week elected to head the African Union (AU) commission, and of ex- finance minister Mbogo Ngabo Selil, who was fired.

Haroun made headlines in 2010 when he became the first Chadian to enter and win an award at the Cannes Film Festival’s main competition with “A Screaming Man”.

Chad currently faces severe economic difficulties because of the global drop in oil prices while it has troops active on several fronts in the regional struggle against the Nigerian jihadists of Boko Haram.

Haroun served on the Canne festival’s prestigious jury in 2011 and in 2013 another of his films was nominated for its top Palme d’Or award.

Deby named the country’s ambassador to Paris, Hissein Brahim Taha, as new foreign minister, giving the finance ministry to AU official Christine Georges Diguibaye and the economy portfolio to former IMF official Ngueto Yambaye.

Deby last week announced a further postponement of parliamentary elections initially due in 2015, blaming a lack of funds as the oil-exporter struggles with a drop in oil prices.