Like father, like son
An attack on the offices of Chad’s internal security agency in N’Djamena killed several people. The government accused “elements” of the opposition Socialist Party Without Borders (PSF) and declared the situation under control. Interim President Mahamat Idriss Deby plans to run in the election amid controversy over the recent killing of opposition politician Yaya Dillo. Dillo’s death has sparked concerns, with the European Union expressing deep concern. Deby initially promised an 18-month transition to elections after he seized power in 2021 when his long-ruling father was killed. But his government later adopted resolutions that postponed elections until 2024 and allowed him to run for president.
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The Chadian government’s claim that announcing elections led to opposition attacks on the state security agency, resulting in the death of a major candidate, appears dubious and more like a strategic move to undermine political rivals. The timing of the attack on the internal security agency shortly after an election announcement that would ordinarily be pleasant news to an opposition party raises suspicions of this being a charade orchestrated to weaken the opposition. The government’s assertion of having the situation “completely under control” seems convenient, and the warning of arresting perpetrators appears to be a potential suppression of dissent rather than a genuine pursuit of justice. The death of key opposition politician Yaya Dillo, amidst these circumstances, has prompted expressions of deep concern from the European Union and other onlookers. The Chadian rebel group Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) and the National Council for Renewal and Democracy (CNRD) opposition party labelled Dillo’s death as an assassination, and this is quite understandable. One could interpret the events in N’Djamena as Deby Jr. consolidating power to pave the way for an uncontested presidential candidacy, following in his father’s footsteps. Chad has been a battleground between multiple rebel organisations and the government. Since independence, the country has only been ruled by three men: Hisene Habre, Idris Deby, and now his son, Mahmat Kaka Deby. Throughout Idris Deby’s term in office between 1990 and until his death in 2021, he won “elections” easily with questionably high percentages. Much has not changed on the ground since 1990. Just the way Idris Deby launched a coup and transformed himself into a civilian dictator fighting multiple insurgencies, his son is doing the same. Last Wednesday’s incident, however, was the first time in a long time since that battle was fought close to home, as FACT rebels, once a prominent group, have been severely weakened and forced to retreat to the outskirts along the border with the Central African Republic. Sudden gunfire in the capital blamed on the opposition raises questions but also gives a detailed preview of what Deby Jr as a civilian dictator will look like. However, the sanctions and condemnations that typically follow these kinds of developments will not necessarily apply because of Chad’s strategic position as France’s last link between Central and West Africa, as well as a major Western ally in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel. Just like his father, the younger Deby is fast becoming an indispensable cog in efforts to keep the Sahel quiet.
