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Chad has remained persistently unstable since the 1960s. Some heads of state have exploited the north-south cleavages, a situation that aggravated ethnic division and brought about numerous rivalries. The country’s history is marked by struggles against rebellion, external aggressions, and coups d’état. Franco-Chadian military cooperation was sorely tested in the course of regimes that swept Goukouni Oueddei and Hissen Habré from power. Political insecurity resulted moreover in an economic and social instability that has led to misery. Consequently, a large portion of the population, particularly the young, has moved into exile, and particularly to Cameroon and Libya.