Chad loses historic voice in looting of state radio

By Stephanie Hancock and Moumine Ngarmbassa

N'DJAMENA (Reuters) - From landmark speeches made at independence to recordings of beloved musicians long since dead, Chad lost historic audio archives in the looting frenzy that accompanied a rebel assault on its capital this month.

Like many other state institutions in N'Djamena, the Radio Nationale du Tchad (RNT) was pillaged by civilians who ran amok during two days of chaos on February 2-3 when government forces were busy repelling the insurgents in the city.

All that remains is the charred shell of its offices.

Walls are blackened; windows have exploded; furniture has been reduced to rubble.

Inside the gutted building, every public audio archive since Chad's independence has gone up in smoke, including recordings of the former French colony's independence day itself.

"There's nothing left to be saved," said RNT director Halime Assadia Ali, covering her mouth with her headscarf to give some protection from the choking dust.

Ash and twisted metal crackle underfoot as journalists try to salvage what they can from the wreckage.

In the archives department, decades' worth of radio spools lie in neat rows, crumpled by the heat.