After the National Conference in September 2022, the Chadian opposition was drowned in blood with over 50 killed, 300 injured and hundreds arrested according to the Government’s own figures. But Amnesty International reported 30 deaths in the southern town of Moundou alone.
Chadian armed forces have been used against the rebels in Mali and Boko Haram in Nigeria in recent years. Chad with a population of about 17.5 million people has nearly half a million refugees from Sudan, the Central African Republic and Nigeria.
In May of this year, hundreds of protestors demonstrated against France’s military presence in the country and French support for the current regime. This included protests at several Total fuel stations. The police fired tear gas and used water canon to disperse the demonstrators. The trade union centre, UST threatened a national strike over the arrest of over 500 protestors.
Meanwhile the government is doing almost nothing to deal with the recent floods. These have affected well over half a million people across half the country, including the capital, N’Djamena. Before the floods a third of the population were in need of urgent humanitarian aid. Chad is an oil exporting country, but is one of the least developed countries in the world.
For more background on Chad see: https://www.afriquesenlutte.org/afrique-centrale/tchad/article/mahamat-idriss-deby-consolidates-his-power-in-chad
To provide solidarity with the struggling common people of Chad provide your support for the following letter:
OPEN LETTER FROM PROGRESSIVE FORCES, DIASPORA, AFRICAN INTELLECTUALS AND FRIENDS OF CHAD TO THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS
Mr. Secretary General of the United Nations,
We, the undersigned, progressive forces, diaspora and African intellectuals and friends of Chad are writing to you in the name of the universal principles and the right of populations to self-determination and to take their destiny into their own hands and in the name of international solidarity in the face of crimes and massive violations of human rights and the absence of democracy.
Indeed, the brutal and not yet elucidated disappearance of Idriss Deby Itno who was to open the way to a New Chad has turned into a nightmare for the Chadian people and this, in the face of the indifference so far of the international community. The unconstitutional seizure of power by the son of Idriss Deby Itno on April 21, 2021, followed by his hasty acceptance by the French President, Emmanuel Macron, opened the doors to violence and massacres of all kinds across the national territory. The organization of the national dialogue has confirmed the risks of the materialization of a plan for the monarchical devolution of power. The resolutions of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union relating to the duration of the transition and the non-eligibility of the heads of the transitional bodies have not been respected.
The people who decided to demonstrate their rejection of the confiscation of power by those in power were massacred in blood by the clan militia assisted by members of the Sudanese rebellion called “Toroboro”: more than 150 dead, more than 300 injured and more than 1500 people arrested, tortured, deported. In its logic, the power tries to fabricate shameless proof of insurrection to justify once again the repression and the manhunt that was to follow. For its part, the Economic Commission of Central African States (ECCAS), which has never been concerned about the situation in Chad, hastily held a meeting in Chad on October 25, after these events, and denounced both the non-respect of the resolutions of the African Union and the massacres of the demonstrators by the clan army, while claiming to replace all the other regional and international institutions, by invoking the principle of subsidiarity. The Peace and Security Commission of the African Union after its April/May 2021 mission did not monitor this transition as provided for in its May 2022 resolution. France, for its part, after having, at first, threatened any outside interference that would disrupt the power of Mahamat Idriss Deby, then gave the pledges of his commitment as a strategic and military partner of the Déby power to enforce the
principles of a peaceful transition to civilian power, curiously mentioned that these massacres are part of the country’s internal policy.
In this context, we hereby ask the United Nations to take up the Chadian file in order to trigger international sanctions and to push the military junta to open a frank and sincere dialogue that should lead to a transfer of power to authorities, the implementation of transitional justice and the reform of the security sector.
We base our request on:
– The real risks of an implosion of Chad which will have important consequences on stability and security in Central and West Africa;
– The lack of will on the part of sub-regional and regional institutions such as ECCAS, whose presidents of member states have either benefited from a plan for the dynastic devolution of power with the blessing of France, or are in the process of planning a such dynastic devolution or are in the process of executing a constitutional change plan allowing them to run for too many presidential terms;
– The right of the Chadian people to self-determination while this right is denied to them by the clan military junta and by the French Army which has, on several occasions, saved the power of the family of Idriss Deby Itno.
We believe that the United Nations Organization, through its organs including the Security Council, is justified in rapidly playing a role so that Chad does not become, as in Libya, the theatre of clashes between international powers or a space of lawlessness.
Pending a favourable response to our request, we kindly ask you to accept the assurance of our highest and distinguished consideration.
Done on November 20, 2022.
The petitioners
- Chadian and African civil society organizations
Last names and first names Title and Organizations Email/phone
- Political parties
Last names and first names Title and Organizations Email/phone
- Personalities
Last names and first names Title and Organizations Email/phone
NB: the list of signatories remains open.
Send an email to: tchadcitoyen2020@gmail.com
