2024-03-04 04:45:21
The political week in Chad was marked by interesting events that will certainly affect the future of the African country.
Agence France-Presse draws attention to the key moments of recent days.
The leader of Chad’s military junta, which has been in power since 2021, General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno announced on March 2 that he is running for president in the May 6 election. He did this three days after the army killed his main opponent, which became the cause of sharp discontent on the part of the opposition.
“I, Mahamat Idriss Debi Itno, am running for the 2024 presidential election from the United Chad coalition of parties,” the military junta leader said after the coalition asked him to stand for election.
Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno was named interim president of Chad by the army on 20 April 2021, following the death of his father, Marshal Idriss Deby Itno. AFP recalls that the late leader of Chad ruled the African country with an iron hand for more than 30 years.
When he came to power, Mahamat Debi promised to return power to civilians after elections to be held after an 18-month transition period. However, when that term expired, Debi gave herself another two years in power.
Will there be a dynasty?
The opposition claims that the Deby family wants to create a dynasty in Chad, a country that, according to the United Nations, is second to last in terms of development in the world.
The date for the presidential election, May 6, was announced on Tuesday, just over two months before the vote, which is shaping up to go in favor of 40-year-old General Deby.
Mahamat Deby announced his candidacy for president in front of hundreds of people in the Chadian Foreign Ministry building. The interim president also said that in 2021 “the army guaranteed the continuity of state power and saved the country from non-existence and chaos”. The words of the Chadian leader were applauded by the present representatives of “221 parties” participating in the coalition “For a united Chad” “.
The main opponent was liquidated
He is expected to have no serious rivals in the elections after his main opponent in the race for the presidency was killed on Wednesday. We are talking about Yaya Dilo Jeru, who, in addition to being an opponent, was also the president’s cousin. Yaya Dilo Jeru was killed by the army, which accused him of “attempted assassination” of the Supreme Court chief justice and an attack on the intelligence services. The president’s opponent and cousin was killed in an attack on the headquarters of his political force, the Socialist Party without Borders. .
The Socialist Party without Borders told AFP that Yaya Dilo Jeru had been shot in the head. Other opposition forces described the politician’s death as an “assassination” aimed at removing him from the election campaign.
On Saturday, March 2, the non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch once again criticized the repression of the opposition in Chad by the junta, calling for an international investigation into the death of Dilo.
“The circumstances surrounding Yaya Dilo’s killing are unclear, but his violent death illustrates the dangers facing opposition politicians in Chad, especially as elections approach,” Human Rights Watch said.
Chad’s military-junta-appointed government told AFP that there was no question of an execution, as the opposition claimed, because Dilo died because he refused to surrender to law enforcement and shot them himself.
“The interim government (. . .) has repeatedly repressed demonstrations organized by the opposition demanding a transition to a democratic civilian regime,” Human Rights Watch said.
Divisions in the ruling elite
A Reuters analysis said this week’s violence showed the complex ethnic and family ties that characterize Chad’s political elite.
It is noted that the late president of Chad, Idriss Deby, concentrated military and political power in Chad in the hands of his ethnic group. His son tried to preserve this unity, but divisions arose, with some relatives openly opposing the interim president.
The death of Dilo, who belonged to the same clan, provoked the anger of some relatives.
Also, General Saleh Debi Itno, who is the interim president’s uncle, defected to Dilo’s party last week. He was reportedly subsequently detained. According to experts cited by Reuters, the fact that Saleh has joined Dilo’s party is a sign that some of the junta leader’s relatives are very unhappy.
France’s reaction
AFP notes that Chad is key to France’s military presence in Africa. Chad is the last country in the Sahel region to have French troops after French forces withdrew from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
France has about a thousand troops in Chad, who are stationed at three bases.
Paris said it was closely monitoring the situation in Chad and urged its citizens in the African country to be vigilant.