Security Forces Impose Disproportionate Measures Amid Transition Process in Chad
GHRTV Reporter
1-11-2021
Cătălina Gemănari
Africa and Human Rights Researcher,
Global Human Rights Defence.
One of the latest abuses of force against peaceful protesters took place on October 2, 2021 in N’Djamena and was conducted by Chadian security forces.When 200 hundreds N’Djamena residents legally joined the Wakit Tama coalition to protest against measures advanced by the Transitional Military Council (CMT), the anti-riot police took action and used ‘teargas canisters, rubber bullets and live ammunition’ to stop the protest. This resulted in 40 to 45 individuals being injured, as well as damaged private property. In a response to the actions taken by the police, the Public Security and Immigration Minister, Souleyman Abakar Adoum, declared that the protest has not been carried out according to the authorised itinerary, characterising it as a ‘rebellion’ that has disturbed public order.
To further the delicate situation in Chad, on 14 October, Mahamat Idriss Déby nominated Abdel Kader Mahamat as the Director of Intelligence Services. The concern in respect to this nomination is that the new director is a former leader of the rebel group Popular Front for Redress. Under the supervision of Abdel Kader Mahamat, the armed group has caused several serious human rights crimes, such as rape and killings. In this context, this appointment has raised questions as to whether the culture of impunity and human rights violations will continue to be fostered in the country.
Upcoming steps in the context of Chad’s transition process include a meeting organised by the Wakit Tama coalition on actions fostering democracy, as well as a march scheduled to take place on November 13. In light of the above-mentioned facts, it has been found that the disproportionate use of force by security forces have led to violations of freedom of free speech, expression and assembly.
Source and further reading:
Chad: Violent Repression of Opposition Protest, 29 October 2021, Africa News chad-violent-repression-of-opposition-protest.
