Supposed to lay the foundations for a new political and social life in Chad, the so-called inclusive and sovereign national dialogue has not kept the promise of flowers. The conclusions that came out of it are indeed widely contested by about fifty political and associative structures that denounce a passage by force on many decisions.
Opened on August 20, 2022, the closing ceremony of the inclusive and sovereign National Dialogue took place this Saturday, October 8, seventy-two hours after the end of the work. For 45 days, Chadians met to develop a roadmap for the next few years. Among the conclusions of these meetings: the extension of the duration of the transition by 24 months with the maintenance of Mahamat Idriss Déby at its head and the possibility for the actors of this transition, including General Mahamat Idriss Déby, to stand for the next elections. However, it is clear that these recommendations do not meet with unanimous approval from all sides.
Mahamat Déby, invested president of the transition
While he had promised an 18-month transition to hand over power to democratically elected civilians, Mahamat Déby was invested as president of a new two-year transition. This is at least one of the conclusions of the sovereign inclusive national dialogue. This step taken, reinforces well the slingers of the dialogue in their positions. Indeed, the meeting was boycotted by a large part of the opposition and civil society, as well as by two of the most powerful armed rebel movements. The latter denounce a “dynastic succession” to power.
Mahamat Déby, candidate to the next elections
Another key measure of the dialogue is the possibility for the military in charge of the transition, including Mahamat Déby, to run in the next elections. This resolution augurs a pre-determined scenario for the country. Many Chadians have in fact lamented that the dialogue is just a channel for the decisions of Déby’s son. After the father ruled the country with an iron fist for 30 years, the fate of Chadians is now in the hands of the son, who is preparing to run for office.
However, the African Charter of Democracy stipulates that “perpetrators of unconstitutional changes of government should neither participate in elections organized for the restoration of democratic order, nor hold positions of responsibility in the political institutions of their state. It was in this context that the African Union (AU) demanded on September 19 that the junta not extend the 18-month transition period. The institution also “recalled unequivocally that no member of the Transitional Military Council can be a candidate in the elections at the end of the transition.
President of the Transitional Military Council, at the head of fifteen generals since the death of his father in April 2021, Mahamat Idriss Déby was endorsed by the international community, the African Union and France. While the military like him, under similar circumstances, suffer the reprisals of these same organizations.
