October 5, 2007: The four largest rebels groups and the government have agreed to a three week truce, starting on October 3rd. During that time, there will be an attempt to work out a final peace deal. Negotiations, sponsored, and often held in, Libya, have been underway since June. The goal is to resolve all the territorial and tribal issues, and merge rebel combat units into the Chad armed forces. There's also the issue of how much of the new oil money will change hands and what top jobs in the government that rebel leaders will get. The plans for thousands of Western peacekeepers to move into the area by the end of the year apparently encouraged the rebels to make a deal. The small French contingent of army and air force troops in Chad has regularly demonstrated their ability to hurt the rebels, at little cost to themselves. The French have been vigorously encouraging the government to make a deal. Without that French support, Chadian governments usually don't last long. Libya shares a border with Chad, and likes to act like a peacemaker (even though it has financed Chadian opposition groups in the past.)