Chad’s interim President Mahamat Idriss Deby announced on Saturday his intention to participate in this year’s highly anticipated presidential election.
Deby’s statement follows a tumultuous week marked by the tragic death of opposition figure Yaya Dillo in the capital city of N’Djamena.
The incident, which occurred amidst controversy, has heightened tensions within the country’s political leadership as Chad gears up for its transition to democratic governance through electoral processes.
The Chadian government maintains that Yaya Dillo was killed during a shootout with security forces and alleges that members of his party were involved in an attack on the internal security agency.
Additionally, on Friday, it was confirmed that General Saleh Deby Itno, President Deby’s uncle, was arrested following the events of Wednesday. Itno, who had recently switched allegiance to Dillo’s opposition Socialist Party Without Borders (PSF), has been charged by the public prosecutor, with his safety assured, although the specific charges against him have not been disclosed, stated government spokesperson Abderaman Koulamallah.
Chad’s rebel group, the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT), along with the CNRD opposition party, have labeled Yaya Dillo’s death as an assassination.
Similarly, the URT opposition party emphasized Dillo’s democratic opposition to what they perceive as the perilous direction of Chad’s military transition.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the URT condemned recent events as a calculated effort to silence political dissent. Despite these developments, President Deby, in his address to supporters and state officials, announced his candidacy for the upcoming May-June election, notably omitting any mention of Dillo’s death or his uncle’s arrest.
“It is … with a mixture of honour, humility, responsibility and gratitude that I accept this nomination,” he said.
Later on Saturday, the European Union’s diplomatic service expressed profound concern over the recent outbreak of violence in N’Djamena and urged for an impartial and independent investigation to ascertain the facts and hold those accountable in a credible manner.
“These events undermine the efforts needed to ensure a transparent, pluralist, inclusiv,e and peaceful transition,” it said in a statement.
Initially, Deby pledged an 18-month transition to elections following his assumption of power in 2021, following the death of his long-serving father during clashes with rebels.
However, his administration subsequently enacted measures to delay elections until 2024 and granted him eligibility to contest the presidency.
The postponement of elections sparked protests, which were met with violent suppression by security forces, resulting in the deaths of approximately 50 civilians.
