Highlights: Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno began a week-long tour in the southern regions, reputed to be rather favorable to the opposition. To appease hearts and minds, especially after the violent repression of the demonstrations of October 20, 2022, is the objective of this trip. Some youth organizations and opposition leader Yaya Dillo are calling for a boycott of the visit, which is perceived as "insulting" to the families of the victims who have not completed their mourning. In any case, "the president is in pre-campaign" not for the constitutional referendum whose result is according to him "known in advance" but for the presidential election of 2024.

After visiting the North and East of the country last month, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno began Monday, June 5, a week-long tour in the southern regions, reputed rather favorable to the opposition...

Chad: the President of the Transition in the South to try to restore confidence

After visiting the north and east of the country last month, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno began a week-long tour on Monday (June 5th) in the southern regions, reputed to be rather favorable to the opposition and bereaved in recent months by violence that has caused many victims.

President of the Transitional Military Council Mahamat Idriss Déby during a meeting in Sudan, in Khartoum on August 29, 2021. © AFP

Text by: RFI Follow

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With our correspondent in N'Djamena, Carol Valade

To appease hearts and minds, especially after the violent repression of the demonstrations of October 20, 2022, is the objective of this trip. But in the background there are also political deadlines: the constitutional referendum that should be held by the end of the year and the presidential election scheduled for October 2024.

Another issue is security issues. A series of massacres has plunged the southern regions into mourning over the past two months, claiming dozens of lives. To "restore the confidence of the populations", says Mahamat Brah, spokesman for the presidency, "the State has deployed military means", "it is now a question of appeasing and bringing people together", he concludes.

But some youth organizations and opposition leader Yaya Dillo are calling for a boycott of the visit, which is perceived as "insulting" to the families of the victims who have not completed their mourning.

Mahamat Idriss Déby is expected in Moundou, Chad's second largest city known to be pro-opposition and where the repression of the demonstrations of October 20, 2022 has caused many deaths. "Will it then receive the expected reception?" asks political scientist Evariste Toldé. In any case, "the president is in pre-campaign," he says, not for the constitutional referendum whose result is according to him "known in advance" but for the presidential election of 2024. "False," replies the presidency, "the head of state is above these questionsand has not said whether he will be a candidate."

Chad: the President of the Transition in the South to try to restore confidence

Chad: the President of the Transition in the South to try to restore confidence

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