Youssouf Togoïmi (26 March 1953
[, ''Afrique Express'', number 256, 2 October 2002 .] – 24 September 2002
[, ''Afrique Express'', number 256, 2 October 2002 .]) was a
Chad
Chad, officially the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North Africa, North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to Chad–Libya border, the north, Sudan to Chad–Sudan border, the east, the Central Afric ...
ian politician who served in the government under President
Idriss Déby
Idriss Déby Itno ( '; 18 June 1952 – 20 April 2021) was a Chadian politician and military officer who was the sixth List of heads of state of Chad, president of Chad from 1991 until his death in 2021 during the 2021 Northern Chad offensive, No ...
but subsequently led a rebel group, the
Movement for Democracy and Justice in Chad (MDJT), against Déby.
Life and career
Youssouf Togoïmi was born in 1953 in
Zouar. He came from a Bideyat Ennedi family established in the
Tibesti Mountains
The Tibesti Mountains are a mountain range in the central Sahara, primarily located in the extreme north of Chad, with a small portion located in southern Libya. The highest peak in the range, Emi Koussi, lies to the south at a height of and i ...
and considered to be a
Teda. Graduating as a jurist, Togoïmi was one of the few natives of the massif, other than
Goukouni Oueddei
Goukouni Oueddei ( '; born 1944) is a Chadian politician who served as President of Chad from 1979 to 1982.
A northerner, Goukouni commanded FROLINAT rebels with Libyan support during the first Chadian Civil War against Chad's southern-domin ...
, to have occupied a high position in the Chadian government. Togoïmi served as state prosecutor in
Abéché
Abéché (, ''Absha'') is a city in Chad and the capital of the Ouaddaï Region. It is one of the List of cities in Chad, largest cities in the country and has within it the remnants of the ancient capital, including palaces, mosques, and the tom ...
and
N'Djaména
N'Djamena ( ) is the capital and largest city of Chad. It is also a special statute region, divided into 10 districts or ''arrondissements'', similar to the city of Paris.
Originally called Fort-Lamy, it was founded in 1900 by the French during ...
during the presidency of
Hissène Habré
Hissène Habré (Arabic: ''Ḥusaīn Ḥabrī'', Chadian Arabic: ; ; 13 August 1942 – 24 August 2021), also spelled Hissen Habré, was a Chadian politician and convicted war criminal who served as the 5th president of Chad from 1982 unt ...
and later, after the coup d'état of 1990, in a number of positions under
Idriss Déby
Idriss Déby Itno ( '; 18 June 1952 – 20 April 2021) was a Chadian politician and military officer who was the sixth List of heads of state of Chad, president of Chad from 1991 until his death in 2021 during the 2021 Northern Chad offensive, No ...
: he was Minister of Justice from 1990 to 1993, Minister of Defence from 1995 to 1997,
[ and was then appointed Minister of the Interior on 21 May 1997.]["May 1997 – New Attack", ''Keesing's Record of World Events'', volume 43, May 1997, page 41,626.] Shortly after the latter appointment, he resigned from the government on 3 June 1997. He said that his resignation came about because of what he described as the "dictatorial drift" of the government. Often referred to as very charismatic, during this period Togoïmi enjoyed an excellent reputation as an honest and ethical politician who transcended ethnic divisions. However, Togoïmi's break with Déby has also been interpreted in ethnic terms, based on his own status as a Toubou
The Toubou or Tubu (from Old Tebu, meaning "rock people") are an ethnic group native to the Tibesti Mountains that inhabit the central Sahara in northern Chad, southern Libya, northeastern Niger, and northwestern Sudan. They live either as her ...
and Déby's status as a Zaghawa.[
On 12 October 1998, he formed the Movement for Democracy and Justice in Chad (MDJT), a ]dissident
A dissident is a person who actively challenges an established political or religious system, doctrine, belief, policy, or institution. In a religious context, the word has been used since the 18th century, and in the political sense since the 2 ...
rebel
A rebel is a participant in a rebellion.
Rebel or rebels may also refer to:
People
* Rebel (given name)
* Rebel (surname)
* Patriot (American Revolution), during the American Revolution
* American Southerners, as a form of self-identification; ...
group that sought to overthrow the government, initially with the support of Libya
Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...
. Operating initially from his power base in the Tibesti Mountains, the group waged a guerilla war against government forces. He was re-elected as party leader at a party congress in Sabha, Libya
Sabha or Sebha () is an oasis city in southwestern Libya, approximately south of Tripoli. It was historically the capital of the Fezzan region and the Fezzan-Ghadames Military Territory and is the capital of the Sabha District. Sabha Air Ba ...
in December 2001["Chad: Peace agreement of 7 January 2002 between the government and MDJT rebels; implementation of the terms of the agreement, release of prisoners and any amnesty given to rebels; whether the terms of the agreement extend to all members and sympathizers of the MDJT"]
Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada (UNHCR.org). and on 25 December he expressed a willingness to negotiate with the government. The MDJT's second vice-president Adoum Togoi signed a peace agreement with the government in Tripoli, Libya, on 7 January 2002. The terms of the agreement involved a cease-fire, inclusion of the MDJT in the government, and the integration of MDJT's members into the army. An amnesty for MDJT members was approved by the National Assembly of Chad
The National Assembly (; ) is the lower house of the Parliament of Chad. Deputies of the National Assembly are elected for a five-year term.
Legislative history
Colonial Chad had four assemblies from 1947 to 1959. They were the Representati ...
in late February. A month later, the agreement began to break down as the government rejected MDJT demands, including its proposal for new prime minister from the MDJT. In May, Togoi, who was viewed as a moderate in the group, was allegedly ambushed, injured and kidnapped by Togoïmi, who was viewed as a hard-liner, an apparent result of a split in the group regarding how to handle the peace negotiations, and late in the month the first fighting since the signing of the peace agreement broke out.[
Togoïmi was injured by a ]land mine
A land mine, or landmine, is an explosive weapon often concealed under or camouflaged on the ground, and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets as they pass over or near it. Land mines are divided into two types: anti-tank mines, wh ...
in late August in the Tibesti area and he died from his wounds in Tripoli on 24 September 2002.[ Mockhtar Wawa Dahab, a spokesman for the Chadian government, responded to the death by stating that it "ought to make it easier for peace to return to Chad".]
References
External links
US State Department report on Chad
{{DEFAULTSORT:Togoimi, Youssouf
1953 births
2002 deaths
Chadian rebels
Government ministers of Chad
People from Tibesti Region