(4 minutes read)
· The African Union (AU) has called for the restoration of civilian rule in Chad
· The AU’s Peace and Security Council, which handles continental security matters, expressed “grave concern” regarding this development, particularly the establishment of a military council led by the late president’s son
· French President Emmanuel Macron, who attended the late president’s funeral, expressed hope that the new government would promote stability, inclusion, dialogue, and democratic transition
The African Union (AU) has called for the restoration of civilian rule in Chad. General Mahamat Idriss Déby assumed the presidency last week following the death of his father, Idriss Déby Itno.
However, the AU’s Peace and Security Council, which handles continental security matters, expressed its “grave concern” regarding this development, particularly the establishment of a military council led by the late president’s son. There is a general sentiment that military councils and their interference in the government structure run counter to the spirit of democracy.
Idriss Déby Itno, 68, died last week from injuries sustained while visiting a front-line area where the national army was engaging militants in the country’s north.
French President Emmanuel Macron attended the late president’s funeral. He expressed hope that the new government would promote stability, inclusion, dialogue, and democratic transition. Meanwhile, Mahamat Idriss Déby, 37, dissolved the national assembly and the government. However, he promised new institutions after “free and democratic” elections in a year and a half. The AU Peace and Security Council waited until after the funeral to publicly release its statement urging the restoration of civilian rule in the country. European countries, including France, have a strategic interest in the Sahel region due to growing tensions there. Meanwhile, opposition parties in Chad have called on France to stay out of the internal affairs of this Central African nation.