• In power for thirty years, the President of Chad, Idriss Déby died in action on Tuesday, April 20

  • The country is one of France's main allies in the Sahel in the fight against terrorism that is rampant in the region.

  • Emmanuel Macron said he would go there for the funeral of the Chadian head of state scheduled for Friday.

He was one of France's main allies in its fight against terrorism in the Sahel. Idriss Déby, President of Chad for thirty years, died on April 20 during fighting against rebel forces. His son, Mahamat Idriss Déby was propelled to the head of a military junta and now concentrates almost all powers. A promotion that has since aroused the indignation of the main Chadian opposition parties who denounce this Wednesday "an institutional coup".

If the country was until now an island of stability in a region threatened by various terrorist organizations, the death of Idriss Déby represents, according to the deputy Thomas Gassilloud, a "security risk".

For the elected member of the group "Agir ensemble" and member of the information mission on Barkhane, a withdrawal from Chad in the fight against jihadism could complicate the continuation of this delicate military operation.

What role did the Chadian president and his army play in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel?

In the Sahel, this country plays a particular role in the fight against terrorism since it is a contributing state of security solutions. While other states need reinforcements, Chad is contributing to this effort. For example, a battalion of 1,200 men was sent to the so-called “three borders” area, between Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. And 400 Chadian soldiers are also deployed within Minusma, the UN force in the region. Finally, Chad holds the presidency of the G5 Sahel. This is an extremely important role since the presidency drives the roadmap in terms of security. This country is a hotbed of relative stability in the middle of an area of ​​insecurity. To the north you have Libya, to the west is the entire Sahelian zone and to the south, the Central African Republic.These three areas have experienced and are still experiencing significant security turbulence. And at the same time, Chad is confronted with Boko Haram on its southwest border. N'Djamena, the capital, is located just a few dozen kilometers from the combat sites where this terrorist organization is rampant.

Can his death jeopardize the continuation of Operation Barkhane?

It's a bit early to tell. What can be noted is that if Chad decided to engage less in the fight against jihadism, this would concretely mean less forces available for security in the Sahel. It should be remembered that the Operation Barkhane headquarters is located in N'Djamena, in what is called the PCIAT - the joint theater command post - where France has fighter planes on site. It is therefore a strategic position. Today, the Chadian reinforcement within Barkhane is particularly appreciated and without Chad, it would be a little more difficult. It would always be possible, but every ally is precious in this war in the Sahel. And the Chadian reinforcements are also important from a qualitative point of view. Their troops are very mobile, very combative,they do not hesitate to go into contact with the adversary.

In your opinion, is instability in Chad likely to cause a security risk in Europe and France?

If Chad crosses a zone of turbulence, it is possible that some of the soldiers mobilized against terrorism will be redeployed to take care of the national scene.

However, any reinforcement is good to take so that can pose difficulties on the front of the fight against jihadism.

The fewer partners act in the Sahel, the more it poses a security problem.

Today, I am neither optimistic nor pessimistic, but realistic.

The Sahel remains an area of ​​instability, so it is important for the international community to mobilize to support the states of the region.

What also matters is that the civilian populations have confidence in their state and that the political transition takes place quickly.

To fight against jihadism, the democratic solution remains the most effective.

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  • Jihadism

  • Boko haram

  • World

  • Terrorism

  • Sahel

  • Chad