Chad: who was the opponent Yaya Dillo, killed by security forces?

The news had the effect of an earthquake in the Chadian political landscape.

Yaya Dillo, opposition politician, lost his life on Wednesday February 28, killed by security forces during an operation at his party headquarters.

According to the government, the president of the PSF (Socialist Party Without Borders) "did not want to surrender and shot at the police" during this police operation.

The authorities accused Yaya Dillo of having carried out, the day before, a deadly attack against the premises of the intelligence services, which the latter had formally denied, as well as of having fomented a week earlier an "assassination attempt" of the president of the National Assembly.

His supporters denounce a political assassination in the run-up to the presidential election.

France 24 retraces the journey of this former rebel leader who joined the government under the presidency of Idriss Déby, before becoming one of the regime's most virulent critics.

From rebellion to government

The tragic conflict between Yaya Dillo and the Chadian regime is both a political and family story.

Nephew of the late leader of Chad Idriss Déby, he comes from the same community, the Zaghawa, established in the northeast of Chad and the west of Sudan.

He first became known as a rebel leader, at the head of the Base for Change, Unity and Democracy (Scud) created in 2005, bringing together deserters from the armed forces and the Chadian government, who took up arms against the regime of Idriss Déby.

In 2008, Yaya Dillo left the rebellion and joined the government, thanks to an agreement with the regime.

He successively held the positions of Secretary of State, Minister of Mines and Energy, and advisor to the presidency.

From 2018 to 2020

,

 he was Chad's representative to the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (Cemac).

Open conflict with the Déby camp

During the year 2020, his relationship with power suddenly turned into a storm.

In a video posted on social networks and which went viral, Yaya Dillo accuses first lady Hinda Déby Itno of conflict of interest through her

Grand

Coeur Foundation.

According to him, this structure encroaches on the prerogatives of several ministries, particularly in the health sector, and he asks that it be removed from the management of the Covid-19 pandemic which is then hitting the country.

The head of state's wife files a complaint for "defamation and insults" against Yaya Dillo.

In the process, the latter was suspended by Cemac for "lack of neutrality and violation of the right of reserve", then dismissed.

On February 28, 2021, the Chadian armed forces went to his home.

The attempted arrest, after his refusal to respond to court summons according to the authorities, turned into a bloodbath.

His mother, his son and several of his sympathizers were shot dead.

Exfiltrated from his home and hidden by his loved ones, Yaya Dillo denounces in the media an assassination attempt carried out by the head of state.

The government claims that the police simply defended themselves after "coming under fire", causing several deaths in their ranks.

This outburst of violence one month before the presidential election is causing an outcry in Chad.

Several candidates are withdrawing and calling for a boycott.

The election of April 11, 2021 is nevertheless maintained.

Threat to the new regime

After the sudden death of Idriss Déby, killed at the front, according to the junta, while he was preparing to begin his sixth term, his son Mahamat Idriss Déby took power.

Exiled in Belgium since the tragic events of February 2021, Yaya Dillo then returns to the country.

“An agreement was reached within the family with payment of the diya, the blood price for the dead,” explains a Chadian expert contacted by France 24, on condition of anonymity.

“This is how clan conflicts are resolved in the North to avoid the risk of revenge.”

At the head of the Socialist Party Without Borders, Yaya Dillo then began to unite the opposition forces under the banner of the Federation of Credible Opposition (FOC), launched in February 2023. In recent weeks, the tension between the leader of the opposition and the regime had moved up a notch after the rallying to his party, in January, of Saleh Déby, brother of the late president and uncle of Mahamat Idriss Déby.

Saleh Déby was arrested Wednesday by the police during the deadly raid which cost the life of Yaya Dillo.

“The rallying of Saleh Déby constituted a real threat to power: he is a figure who counts in the clan, he has great means and was committed to financing the PSF in the run-up to the presidential election,” underlines the 'expert.

"Since the rallying of the opponent Succès Masra to the government, Yaya Dillo was the only real opponent of the regime. In addition to the popular credibility from which he benefited, he had joined the army and was admired for his physical courage, which is very important in Chad."

The violent death of Yaya Dillo comes a few days before the start of the submission of candidacies for the presidential election on May 6.

Mahamat Idriss Déby, who was committed to returning power to civilians at the end of the transition, was nominated in January by his party as candidate.

He has not yet officially announced his participation in the vote.

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