Chad: the president of the transition Mahamat Idriss Déby comes out of his silence
The president of the transition in Chad, Mahamat Idriss Déby.
Christophe PETIT TESSON POOL / AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
5 mins
The president of the Transitional Military Council, Chadian General Mahamat Idriss Déby, spoke for the first time since taking office last April.
In an interview given to
Jeune Afrique
, the son of the late Idriss Déby returned to his father's death or the transition.
A speech that did not leave the opposition unresponsive.
Publicity
Read more
It was as an officer that Mahamat Idriss Déby experienced the death of his father. "
I was still in the middle of a fight a few kilometers to the South,
" he says when the Marshal - this is how he calls his father throughout the interview - received the wound which was going to be fatal to him. “
It was only around noon, after having crushed the mercenaries, that I learned of his evacuation by helicopter on Ndjamena. It was during my return that I was informed of his death.
"
“
A violent shock,” he admits.
For me, for our family, for the Chadians, for Africa.
But the chaos predicted by the so-called chagologists did not happen,
”he emphasizes.
The transition has become military because the President of the National Assembly, who was in power, refused to take this charge, insists Mahamat Idriss Déby, who refuses any comparison with the military putsch in Mali.
Elections are scheduled in 18 months, a deadline which will be respected on two conditions, he emphasizes: that the Chadians come to an understanding and that the country receive the essential assistance according to him for the organization of the poll, that the Treasury Chadian cannot stand alone.
"
Africans are quite capable of defending themselves
"
Also in this interview
, Mahamat Idriss Déby takes note of the announced end of Operation Barkhane by the French President.
"
I believe that Africans are quite capable of defending themselves against the jihadist scourge
," he comments.
Chad's commitments will be maintained within the Minusma and the G5 Sahel.
"
With the release of opponents, and a transition that he wishes to be inclusive, the time has come for appeasement, he admits, after the deadly clashes of April 27, which an investigation is underway.
But there is no question of recognizing those he describes as Chadian mercenaries in Libya, the FACT, which he never names.
Finally, Mahamat Idriss Déby denies any dissension within his siblings as the CMT whose objective is, he insists, to return power to the civilian and to retire to the barracks.
But he also leaves room for providence: "
God decides fate and power
".
► To reread
: The Africa press review, “Mahamat Idriss Déby speaks”
The people will never again accept either the armed conquest of power or the armed confiscation of power. Otherwise, the country will be cut off, and that is a real danger today. We must stop with this by setting the conditions for a new start for our country, where everyone is on an equal footing. And that is advice I would like to give to my younger brother, General Mahamat Kaka. I would like to tell him in the most solemn way as I said to his father: if he wants to take this path of armed confiscation of power, he will end up through the same door as his father. We must look at Chad on a new basis, with principles that are inclusive and equality principles for all Chadians. If he wants to play by the rules, play with our country's army to try to win,he will have us before him, and with all the legitimate means, we will come to the end of this old system which wants to continue.
Success Masra, president of the Les Transformateurs party and member of the Wakit Tama opposition coalition
Victor Mauriat
Newsletter
Receive all international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Chad
Mahamat Idriss Deby