LETTER FROM N'DJAMENA

With his Chadian flag proudly unfurled, Nassour Ali Kendy watched the sunset from the cliff overlooking the Gauthiot Falls in the heart of the Zah Soo National Park (southwestern Chad). The modest 45-meter drop didn't dampen his enthusiasm in the slightest: "This is our hidden jewel!" said the coordinator of the Chad Volunteers Organization, an association promoting natural heritage named in English with the very hypothetical hope of turning the country into an international tourist destination. Behind him, a score of hikers posed in turquoise T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan "Ça aussi c'est nous" ("This is us, too"). In other words, "Chad isn't just about deserts and war."

Since gaining independence in 1960, the country, strategically located at the crossroads of the Sahel and Central Africa, has consistently been a stage for conflicts and a playground for armed rebellions. This past has saddled it with a warlike and violent reputation that is hardly reassuring for potential foreign travelers.

Seven years ago, Ali Kendy and his team set out to offset this grim reputation. "We were lucky enough to study in Kenya and South Africa where safari is a popular activity and tourism a real financial boon," said the 35-year-old air traffic controller. "We thought, 'Why not in our country?'"

Chad boasts a wealth of potential in terms of landscapes and wildlife with national parks home to giraffes and elephants, the UNESCO-listed Ennedi Reserve and lakes where a few manatees still splash about, having escaped the poachers. "We have everything, but nobody knows it, not even the Chadians!" said Ali Kendy.

The association has enlisted an army of influencers equipped with the latest smartphones, external batteries (the area is almost totally without electricity) and a drone to flood their social media with positive images. "As soon as we get a signal, I'm going to bombard TikTok and Facebook!" said Mahamat Soukaya, one of the team members, frantically taking selfies.

In Chad, as elsewhere, the influencers come from an affluent urban youth a little out of touch with the natural park environment. They begin their muddy hikes wearing pristine damask fabric outfits and blast rap music loudly from their speakers all the while surprised not to encounter any wild animals.

This travel mood annoys the park workers accustomed to the tranquility of the bush. It also requires shedding deeply ingrained habits such as considering any outdoor space as a trash bin. Even a park ranger carelessly threw the plastic wrapper from a packet of cookies on the ground. "Chadians are not accustomed to traveling in their own country and those who can afford it prefer to go abroad. Dubai and Paris are much more alluring and socially prestigious," said one participant for whom the trip marked his first experience outside the stifling and dusty capital.

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