Reportage
Violence of October 20 in Chad: the "tension remained high"
Audio 01:35
Mass of Bishop Djitangar, in Ndjamena, Sunday, November 6, 2022. The Archbishop of Ndjamena spoke in his homily of the political and security climate after the violence of October 20: "The young people who fell under the bullets had only one cry : justice, equality.
If they were on the right side, they would be considered heroes.
Alas, they are considered outlaws.
Let those who have decision-making power exercise it for the good of all”.
© Sébastien Németh/RFI
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
In Chad, the violence of October 20 is still on everyone's mind, as well as the waves of arrests that followed and that will continue in recent days.
The country still lives in a tense climate, with a curfew still in effect.
Community and religious leaders are trying to launch calls to get Chad out of the crisis.
RFI went to a mass, this Sunday, November 6, in Notre-Dame de Ndjamena.
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With our special correspondent in Ndjamena,
Sébastien Németh
Exceptional mass this morning, to raise funds for the renovation of the cathedral.
But the politico-security climate has entered the agenda.
Archbishop Monsignor Edmond Djitangar did not hesitate to speak about it in his homily: “
These young people who had fallen under the bullets… they had only one cry in their mouths: justice, equality.
They were on the good side and would be considered martyrs, but alas, they are considered outlaws.
Pray for families worried about the fate of their loved ones or their own fate.
Let those who have decision-making power exercise it for the good of all.
»
The situation is hotly debated among parishioners, with worrying topics such as an alleged rise in inter-religious tension.
A phenomenon that worries Marius Ngomibé: “
It's manipulation.
We are not going to fall into that trap.
The people are not calling for a communal war, but the people are calling for justice, equality between the different communities.
I believe that this diversity is a good thing.
»
Since the violence of October 20, hundreds of people have been arrested and people are not at ease, as Mathilde Bandé, parishioner, points out: “
Tension has remained high.
There is no appeasement since we are not given an update on what is happening.
Where are the children?
They are parents.
They just have to put themselves in the shoes of those parents who have lost their children
”.
Mathilde Bandé asks for transparency on the number as well as on the identity of the victims and those who have been arrested.
#Chad Mass of Archbishop Djitangar #Ndjamena "Young people who fell without the bullets had only one cry: Justice, Equality. If they were on the right side, they would be considered heroes. Alas, they are considered outlaws. Only those who ot power of decision exercise it for the good of all" pic.twitter.com/DrcrRc3mLb
— Sébastien Németh (@SebastienNemeth) November 6, 2022
Read also: Demonstrations in Chad: power and opposition blame each other for the violence
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