Chad : Attempted insurgency foiled, army says

On Friday, January 19, 2024, the Chadian army announced the foiling of an attempted insurrection led by a movement called M3M. Chadian Minister of Communication, Abderraman Koulamallah, in his announcement, stated that the General Directorate of Military Intelligence (DGRM) « wants to inform the national and international public that a well-organized group within the M3M movement attempted to undermine the security of the State ».

According to the Minister, the General Directorate of Military Intelligence managed to apprehend more than 80 members of this group who were preparing to carry out insurrectional operations on January 12. To succeed in their plot, this group used occult methods based on the sacrifice of animals, including chickens, goats, sheep, and even human sacrifice.

The statement specifies that a human head was found in a bag at the residence of the president of M3M. The victim was identified as a man named Togyena Koina, a caretaker of a hardware store. The headless body of this man was found on January 12. The president of the movement and his accomplices are currently in the hands of the judiciary.

These events occur in a particular context. Last week, General Mahamat Idriss Déby, the Transitional President, was designated as the candidate of the Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS), the party of Marshal Idriss Déby Itno, for the upcoming presidential elections this year, a move that has stirred reactions from the Chadian opposition. Platforms like Wakit Tama and the Union of Democrats for Development and Progress (UDP) led by Max Kemkoye have openly opposed this designation.

Chadian authorities are urging the population to remain vigilant and report any suspicious actions observed in their surroundings.

Sadia Nyaoré