Sahel Edition

Chad regime bans protest before announcing candidacy of autocrat Idriss DebyF

Posted On 2 February 2021

Number of times this article was read : 466

Chad’s government has barred the opposition from staging protests ahead of an expected announcement by President Idriss Deby Itno’s party that the veteran leader will be its champion in upcoming elections. In a decree published late Monday, Public Security Minister Mahamat Tahir Orozi said the authorities “cannot allow the holding of such protests, which have the potential to provoke public disorder across the country.”

The organisers told AFP the demonstrations were “peaceful marches” for political change and equality and vowed to carry on with them as scheduled. They are due to take place every day from Thursday to Sunday.

Deby, a 68-year-old former army chief, has been in power since December 1990, when he ousted the autocratic Hissene Habre. He has been re-elected every five years since then, thanks to constitutional changes approved by a referendum in 2005 to remove limits on presidential terms. He is expected to be named by his party on Saturday as its candidate for the April 11 elections.

AFP

More on the Sahel

Sudan’s Army Gains Ground in Kordofan as War Strains Power and Food Systems✓

Sudan’s army is gaining ground in North Kordofan, securing key transport routes that could support a broader push west toward Darfur. But battlefield advances are unfolding alongside a deepening national crisis, with power grid failures, disrupted agriculture and local conflicts compounding the country’s instability. But this latest military momentum is unlikely to resolve Sudan’s widening humanitarian and infrastructure challenges.

Sahel: Niger Emerges as Key Battleground as JNIM and Islamic State Collide$

A defection, a blood feud, and overlapping territorial ambitions are pushing JNIM and the Islamic State Sahel Province into direct competition across western Niger. The outcome around the region of Dosso could determine whether Sahelian jihadist violence stays fragmented — or consolidates into a wider regional arc.

The Nigeria Precedent: Why Degrading One Group Won’t Secure Mali$

The Nigeria Precedent: Why Degrading One Group Won’t Secure Mali$

Seven months into an air campaign against ISWAP and Boko Haram, Nigeria’s broader insecurity crisis remains largely untouched. As Washington weighs a similar strike option against JNIM in Mali, the Nigeria case raises hard questions about what airpower can actually buy.