“As his father, Mahamat Idriss Déby heads Chad with an iron hand”

Tribune. One year ago, in the aftermath of the official results announcing its sixth presidential term, Chadian President Idriss Debly Itno was killed in clashes between rebels and government forces in the province of Western Kanem. On the same day, one of his sons, Mahamat Idriss Debly Itno, 38, stalking at the feet the Constitution, took control of the country. It was the president of Parliament who should have access this position.

Since then, the situation already worrying, human rights in Chad has only worse. Abuse – including murders, arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture and extortion – have multiplied without anything, or almost nothing, is made to punish those responsible. Human rights defenders work under more and more dangerous conditions.

The military council which installed Mahamat Idriss in power suspended the Constitution and replaced it by a transition charter and the promise of free elections within eighteen months after the holding of a national dialogue. Expected for the month of February, the latter has still not occurred, aroused growing calls, Chad but also abroad, a transition led by civilians and the holding of credible elections.

This dialogue is supposed to be preceded by negotiations between the Chad Transitional Military Council (CMT) and the representatives of the armed groups. The first cycle of negotiations began in Doha, the capital of Qatar, March 13, but no independent Chadian media was allowed to attend to report.

Excessive use of force.

The constitution is always suspended and the signs of the return to democracy are well lean. Like his father, Mahamat Idriss Déby heads Chad with an iron hand, threatening and stopping the dissidents and critical voices. His ministers make fallacious statements to try to justify the abuse of security forces and systematically deny allegations of ill-treatment.

The holding of manifestations by the opposition, civil society or ordinary citizens has become difficult because the authorities apply a zero tolerance policy vis-à-vis the challenge.

In the aftermath of the presidential election of 11 April 2021, the security forces made excessive use of force, in particular by drawing real balls and indiscriminately to disperse the manifestations of the opposition throughout the country. The security forces killed at least seven people, injured dozens and arrested more than seven hundred others during the events organized at the end of April and May by members and sympathizers of opposition parties and organizations of the company civilian, gathered in a coalition called Wakit Tamma. Many of the people arrested claimed to have been abused or even tortured during their detention.

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/Media reports.