CHAD AND THE WORLD BANK HAVE TAKEN AN IMPORTANT STEP TOWARD RESOLVING A FOUR-MONTH DISPUTE OVER HOW THE CENTRAL AFRICAN COUNTRY USES ITS REVENUES FROM A WORLD BANK-BACKED OIL PROGRAM, WORLD BANK AND CHAD OFFICIALS SAY. «THE WORLD BANK AND CHAD HAVE FINISHED (THEIR NEGOTIATIONS). THEY HAVE REACHED AN AGREEMENT,» FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER AHMAD ALLAM-MI TOLD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. ALLAM-MI SAID THAT HE DID NOT HAVE THE DETAILS OF THE AGREEMENT YET BUT HE KNEW A DEAL HAD BEEN REACHED. THE WORLD BANK RELEASED A STATEMENT FROM WASHINGTON DATED WEDNESDAY SAYING AN «INTERIM ACCORD» HAD BEEN REACHED UNDER WHICH IT WAS RELEASING SOME FUNDS TO CHAD THAT HAD BEEN FROZEN. «IT IS A STAGE TOWARDS A FINAL AGREEMENT,» ALLAM-MI SAID. «WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THAT THERE IS NO LONGER A PROBLEM WITH THE WORLD BANK.»
