A military offensive in Northern
Chad
Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...
, initiated by the Chadian rebel group
Front for Change and Concord in Chad
The Front for Change and Concord in Chad (french: Front pour l’alternance et la concorde au Tchad, ar, جبهة التغيير والوفاق في تشاد), or FACT, is a political and military organisation created by SG Mahamat Mahdi Ali in ...
(FACT), took place from 11 April to 9 May 2021.
It began in the
Tibesti Region
Tibesti Region ( ar, مقاطعة تيبستي) is a region of Chad, located in far northwest of the country. Its capital is Bardaï. It was created in 2008 when the former Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti Region was split into three, with the Tibesti Dep ...
in the north of the country following the
2021 Chadian presidential election.
Chadian President
Idriss Déby
Idriss Déby Itno ' (18 June 1952 – 20 April 2021) was a Chadian politician and military officer who was the president of Chad from 1990 until his death in 2021.
Déby was a member of the Bidayat clan of the Zaghawa ethnic group. A high-ranki ...
was killed during the offensive on 20 April 2021, and his son
Mahamat Déby
Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno ( ar, محمد إدريس ديبي إتنو; born 1 January 1984), also known as Mahamat Kaka, is a Chadian army general serving as the transitional List of heads of state of Chad, president of Chad. He is the son of the ...
became acting President of Chad on the same day. A special presidential election is expected in 2022. The offensive ended in a Chadian military victory, though clashes continued in the country's north.
Background
In the 2021 Chadian presidential election,
Idriss Déby
Idriss Déby Itno ' (18 June 1952 – 20 April 2021) was a Chadian politician and military officer who was the president of Chad from 1990 until his death in 2021.
Déby was a member of the Bidayat clan of the Zaghawa ethnic group. A high-ranki ...
, who seized power in the
1990 coup d'état, was expected to extend his mandate of 30 years in power.
The Independent National Election Commission (CENI) had indicated that Déby had taken a large lead with 30% of the votes cast still to be counted.
Déby won all but one of the
departments of the country.
In not recognizing the results, the opposition had called to boycott the 11 April election with Yacine Abderaman Sakine of the Reform Party refusing to concede the victory to Déby.
Preliminary results showed on 25 April that Déby had won a landslide with 79.32% of the electorate.
Déby was seen in Europe, the United States and China as an ally in the fight against the
Boko Haram insurgency
The Boko Haram insurgency began in July 2009, when the militant Islamist and jihadist rebel group Boko Haram started an armed rebellion against the government of Nigeria. The conflict is taking place within the context of long-standing iss ...
and other terrorism in
West
West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth.
Etymology
The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...
and
Central Africa
Central Africa is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries according to different definitions. Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, ...
.
[
On the day of the election, the ]Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
n-based group Front for Change and Concord in Chad
The Front for Change and Concord in Chad (french: Front pour l’alternance et la concorde au Tchad, ar, جبهة التغيير والوفاق في تشاد), or FACT, is a political and military organisation created by SG Mahamat Mahdi Ali in ...
(FACT) launched an attack on a border
Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...
post of the military of Chad
french: Armée nationale tchadienne
, image =
, alt =
, caption =
, image2 =
, alt2 =
, caption2 =
, motto ...
.[ FACT is under the protection of Libyan military warlord ]Khalifa Haftar
Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar ( ar, خليفة بلقاسم حفتر, Ḵalīfa Bilqāsim Ḥaftar; born 7 November 1943) is a Libyan-American politician, military officer, and the commander of the Tobruk-based Libyan National Army (LN ...
and often clashes with the Chadian military. A March 2021 report by the United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
stated that the rebels were based at the Al Jufra Airbase
Al Jufra Airbase is a Libyan Air Force base in Waddan, northeast of Hun, a desert city in the Jufra District of Libya. It was originally used by the Libyan Arab Air Force from 1969 to 2011.
The runway length does not include paved overruns on ...
in Libya, which is also used by Russian Wagner Group
The Wagner Group (russian: Группа Вагнера, Gruppa Vagnera), also known as PMC Wagner ( «Вагнер», ChVK «Vagner»; ), is a Russian paramilitary organization. It is variously described as a private military company (PMC), a ...
mercenaries and has received cargo flights carrying weapons from the United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
. In addition, the FACT rebels prepared for the campaign in Chad using the UAE-supplied weapons.
Events
After the 11 April border attack, the FACT forces entered the country on convoys and clashed with the army in several cities and towns as they headed toward N'Djamena
N'Djamena ( ) is the capital and largest city of Chad. It is also a special statute region, divided into 10 districts or ''arrondissements''.
The city serves as the centre of economic activity in Chad. Meat, fish and cotton processing are the ...
, the capital of Chad. As a result of the growing instability, the United States and the United Kingdom withdrew diplomatic staff from the country. On 19 April, FACT claimed to have taken control of the former Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti prefecture.
As of 19 April 2021, clashes continued between FACT forces and elements of the Chadian Armed Forces
The Chadian Armed Forces (''Forces Armées Tchadiennes'' or FAT) were the army of the central government of Chad from 1960 to 1979, under the southern presidents François Tombalbaye and Félix Malloum, until the downfall of the latter in 1979, wh ...
. FACT forces claimed independence in the northern part of the Tibesti Region
Tibesti Region ( ar, مقاطعة تيبستي) is a region of Chad, located in far northwest of the country. Its capital is Bardaï. It was created in 2008 when the former Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti Region was split into three, with the Tibesti Dep ...
. At least 300 FACT fighters were reportedly killed in the clashes whilst at least five Chadian soldiers had also been killed during the confrontation, which increased political tension in the country. The army said on 19 April that they had "completely destroyed" FACT convoys heading towards the capital. An army spokesman said that the convoys were "decimated" in the northern province of Kanem. After the clashes, Gen. Azem Bermandoa Agouna of the Chadian Armed Forces claimed that the army had captured 150 FACT fighters and also reported 36 wounded Chadian soldiers.
On 19 April 2021, President Idriss Déby was killed on the frontline. His son Mahamat Déby
Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno ( ar, محمد إدريس ديبي إتنو; born 1 January 1984), also known as Mahamat Kaka, is a Chadian army general serving as the transitional List of heads of state of Chad, president of Chad. He is the son of the ...
succeeded him as head of the Transitional Military Council of Chad (TMC). Rebels vowed to continue their offensive on the capital following Déby's death.
The following day, FACT rebels defended their campaign towards Chad's capital, N'Djamena
N'Djamena ( ) is the capital and largest city of Chad. It is also a special statute region, divided into 10 districts or ''arrondissements''.
The city serves as the centre of economic activity in Chad. Meat, fish and cotton processing are the ...
, and rejected the transitional military junta led by Déby's son as the legitimate government of Chad. Although stores and other facilities remained open, many civilians reportedly chose to stay home amidst rising fears of conflict. Opposition politicians asked Déby's son Mahamat for a quick civilian transition. Another rebel group, the Military Command Council for the Salvation of the Republic
The Military Command Council for the Salvation of the Republic (; abbreviated CCMSR) is a Chadian militant rebel group that seeks to overthrow the government of Chad. Founded in 2016, it currently operates in the border regions of northern Chad, so ...
(CCMSR), also declared that it would support FACT in its offensive against the TMC.
On 21 April, a rebel base in northern Chad was allegedly bombed. Rebels claimed that airstrikes were used to try and target their leader, Mahamat Mahadi Ali, and accused France of supporting the raid.
On 24 April, a rebel spokesman said that FACT was "preparing to advance" towards N'Djamena and that they "did not accept any military government". The spokesman further accused France of conducting airstrikes against the group, something which France denied.
On 25 April, the Chadian government claimed that defeated rebels fled to Niger and that Nigerien forces were helping Chadian forces. On 27 April, the government claimed to have destroyed four rebel vehicles. On 28 April clashes resumed in the Kanem region with land and air forces attacking rebel positions. On 29 April, rebels claimed to have captured Nokou
Nokou is a town and sub-prefecture of Kanem Region in Chad. It is the capital of the department of Nord Kanem.
On April 18, 2021, Chadian president Idriss Déby was wounded by gunfire in the nearby town of Mele, as part of the Northern Chad o ...
in Kanem after destroying a helicopter. This was denied by government forces, which claimed to have shelled the rebel position.[ A military spokesman stated that the helicopter claimed to have been shot down by rebels crashed due to "technical failures" far from the battlefield.]
On 30 April, the Chadian forces claimed to have recaptured all territories surrounding Nokou and that six Chadian soldiers had been killed while "hundreds" of rebels had been also killed during the battle. The Chadian forces also reported 22 soldiers wounded. On 6 May Chadian government claimed that FACT rebel have been repelled after fighting near border with Niger causing rebels to flee north. Security forces were clearing the area.
On 9 May 2021, the TMC claimed victory over the rebels in the northern offensive, however, clashes continued and a FACT spokesman said it was not aware of an end to the fighting. He added that the group "will comment when it has reliable and credible information". Meanwhile, cheering was reported in N'Djamena amidst a welcome to the returning troops from the north. The Chadian military's victory was confirmed when Béchir Mahadi, FACT spokesman, asked the Chadian military to respect the rights of the prisoners of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold priso ...
and to let "those who are still in rebellion outside the country to join the legal system so that together they can contribute to building a country of law and democracy".[
]
Reactions
Reactions to Déby's death included condolences, in addition to condemnation of the ongoing violence in Chad. The reactions came from the African Union
The African Union (AU) is a continental union consisting of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the Africa ...
, the European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
and the United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
, as well as from representatives of several countries, including China, France, Israel, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Senegal, Turkey and the United States. On 22 April 2021, France publicly defended the military takeover of the government by Déby's son, despite it being unconstitutional, saying that it was necessary under "exceptional circumstances."
On 27 April 2021, protests erupted in N'Djamena
N'Djamena ( ) is the capital and largest city of Chad. It is also a special statute region, divided into 10 districts or ''arrondissements''.
The city serves as the centre of economic activity in Chad. Meat, fish and cotton processing are the ...
, asking the Transitional Military Council to concede to civilian transition. A woman was killed in the capital when anti-military protesters attacked a bus, while a man was killed in the south of the country. Police have used tear gas
Tear gas, also known as a lachrymator agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the early commercial aerosol, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the eye to produce tears. In ...
to disperse demonstrations whereas the TMC has banned protests. Opposition politicians have labelled the TMC takeover as a "coup". On 2 May 2021, the TMC lifted a nighttime curfew imposed in the country in the aftermath of President Déby's death. The TMC also acknowledged the deaths of six protesters during demonstrations in the past week.
References
{{Post-Cold War African conflicts
2021 in Chad
April 2021 events in Africa
May 2021 events in Africa
Battles in 2021
Battles involving Chad
Battles involving Libya
Kanem Region
Tibesti Region