Chad: Mahamat Idriss Débit Itno sends warning to terrorists
Following an intrusion by Chadian rebels, President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno addressed to rebels in the north of the country directly and assertively on social networks.
The head of state expressed his determination to face up to threats on the Libyan border. This message comes in the wake of the descent of the CCMSR rebel group and rising tensions with the Fact group, the same armed group responsible for the fatal attack on President Idriss Déby, his late father, in April 2021.
The Fact group claims that the Chadian government is preparing an offensive against its bases in Libyan territory, and has announced the breaking of the ceasefire established two years ago. Executive Secretary Mahamat Bahr Bechir Kindji revealed that reprisals were being prepared. He also refuted allegations that the Fact had crossed the Libyan border, invoking the 2018 Khartoum agreements, which authorize states to pursue rebels on their neighbors in the event of an attack.
These agreements give states the right of hot pursuit on the territory of their neighbors, in the event of a rebel attack. The message was sent from the town of Kouri Bougoudi, a few dozen kilometers from the Libyan border: “I’m alive and well and I want to send this message to the rebels: you have two options. If you want peace, the door to peace is wide open. It’s not closed. But if you want the opposite, if you want war, I’m here in Kouri and I’m waiting for you.”
The tension between the rebel groups and the Chadian government is weakening the security situation in the region. While the Head of State seeks to consolidate his authority, the rebels are challenging the current government. The Khartoum agreement is supposed to bring a resolution to the conflict, but it seems that they are putting it to the test.
Yakobu Idrisou
