Chad: Togo at the heart of the mediation between N'Djamena and the rebel groups

The president of the Chadian transition Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno at the funeral of his father, Idris Déby Itno.

April 23, 2021. REUTERS - STRINGER

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2 min

Since Idriss Déby's disappearance, Togo has been organizing meetings with Chadian rebel groups to prepare for national dialogue with the new authorities in N'Djamena.

The existence of these consultations leaked to the Chadian press and RFI was able to confirm it.

A slow and difficult process.

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Togo has stepped up consultations with the Chadian rebels since April.

First limited to the four main political-military groups in Chad: the UFR, CCMSR, FNDJT and FACT, they were then extended to five additional armed groups, before narrowing again to the four original groups.

According to a good source, the aim of the Togolese initiative is to collect the demands of the rebels with a view to their contribution to the Chadian national dialogue to which the new power in N'Djamena seems to want to comply. For the moment, the position of these rebel groups seems irreconcilable with that of the Chadian authorities: not only are they calling for a general amnesty, the release of prisoners of war and political prisoners, but they refuse to recognize the Transitional Military Committee. by Mahamat Idriss Déby. As for the latter, he refuses to consider the

FACT

rebels

, at the origin of Idriss Déby's death

, as part of the national dialogue.

The road promises to be long and difficult.

But if it were successful, it would be a major success for the Lomé authorities, who have already encouraged the return to Chad of

the opponent Hassan Fadoul Tikri

, after 21 years of exile in Togo.

This Chadian-Togolese link goes back a long way.

Already in 1979, President Gnassingbé Eyadéma crossed the Chari river in a canoe to play good offices between the two Chadian warlords Hissène Habré and Goukouni Oueddeye.

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  • Chad

  • Togo

  • Mahamat Idriss Deby