In N’Djamena, the inclusive national dialogue opened on Saturday 20 July 2022. It aims to lay the foundations for a new Chad through the organisation of free and democratic elections and the transfer of power to civilians. The meetings bring together the military authorities of the transition, rebel groups, political parties and members of civil society.
Several times postponed by the Military Council of the Transition, the inclusive national dialogue in Chad was launched last Saturday at the Palace of January 15, in the capital N’Djamena. About 1400 delegates from trade unions, political parties and the WCL are taking part for 21 days to discuss the drafting of a new constitution and institutional reform. These issues will then be put to a referendum of the Chadian people. The conference also addresses issues of peace and fundamental freedoms in a country ruled with an iron fist for thirty years by the late President Marechal Idriss Déby Itno. The integration of the rebels into the army and the thorny issue of the ineligibility of members of the transition will also inevitably be on the agenda.
This dialogue must “trace the paths of a new beginning” towards a “prosperous Chad” free of “troubled times”, said Mahamat Idriss Déby, president of the CMT after asking for forgiveness in the name of his father, Idriss Déby Itno, and in the name of all his predecessors. Chad’s new boss also insisted on the decisive and sovereign character of the dialogue for the country.
The dream of a “prosperous Chad”
In his thirty-minute speech, Mahamat Idriss Déby did not fail to express his ambitions for his country, which has experienced several military coups since independence and where the use of arms has become a means of solving problems.
“I dream of the rebirth of a Chad resolutely turned towards the future. I dream of a prosperous and modern Chad where everyone has a place and enjoys the same privileges. I dream of a Chad where a woman has the same opportunities as a man to build her future. For the child – especially the girl child – she has the right to a quality education. I dream of a Chad where social justice is not an empty word, but a true reality where vulnerable people feel protected and proud to belong to society, a country where diya is prohibited,” he said.
Boycotted dialogue
It should also be noted that the dialogue is being boycotted by a section of the stakeholders. These include the Chad Alternative and Concord Front (FACT) and Wakit Tamma. The former is one of the main rebel groups behind the attack that killed former President Itno Idriss Déby. The second is an alliance of opposition parties and members of civil society. These two groups refused to participate in the national conference, one considering it “biased in advance” and the other accusing the junta of perpetuating “human rights violations” and of wanting to remain in power. The President of the WCL appeals to this effect: “The doors to dialogue remain open”.
Present at the opening ceremony, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, inviting all stakeholders to join the proceedings, insisted: “It is high time to stop the spiral of violence”; “It is time to bury the hatchet.
In addition, the AU representative, who is also Chadian, emphasised the participation of all in achieving a national consensus. “No community, no group, no party can now, on its own, claim to govern or lead this country. Your great challenge today is to build the old dream of national consensus with intelligence, brotherhood, respect, equity and justice,” he said.
Two rebel leaders present at the dialogue
Although flouted by some political sensitivities, these meetings were attended by two major rebel leaders. Last Thursday, two prominent Chadian rebel leaders, Timan Erdimi, leader of the Union of Resistance Forces (UFR) and Mahamat Nouri, leader of the Union of Forces for Democracy and Development (UFDD), all returned to N’Djamena after several years in exile to take part in the proceedings. These two rebel leaders, who had fought Idriss Déby’s regime for years, are considering a ceasefire in order to ‘rebuild Chad’.
After the opening of the meeting, the work effectively begins on Tuesday after the adoption of the rules of procedure and the setting up of the presidium.
