The start of a comprehensive national dialogue in Chad and Deby considers it a "decisive moment"
The comprehensive national dialogue began in Chad despite the boycott of a number of civil and armed opposition groups on Saturday, and will continue for three weeks with the aim of "turning the page" on the transitional period and achieving "free and democratic elections".
The head of the Military Council, Mohamed Idriss Deby Itno, opened the dialogue sessions, which were postponed several times, stressing that it "constitutes a decisive moment in the history of our country."
He added that the dialogue would "paint new ways of launching" towards a "prosperous Chad" free from "periods of tension".
"It is a great historical responsibility, and we have only two options: take it or betray it," he added.
At the end of his speech, Mohamed Idriss Deby said that "the doors for dialogue are still open."
About 1,400 delegates representing unions, political parties and the Transitional Military Council will meet for 21 days at the January 15 Palace in the heart of the capital, N'Djamena, in order to discuss institutional reform and the development of a new constitution that is supposed to be put to a vote in a referendum.
Peace issues and fundamental freedoms will also be discussed.
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Chadian Moussa Faki Mahamat, declared at the opening of the dialogue that "the time has come to stop the cycle of violence" in the country, which has witnessed several coups since its independence in 1960.
"It is time to bury the hatchet," he added.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres congratulated Chad on this dialogue, saying it was a "historic opportunity to lay new foundations for stability" in the country.
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