An alliance of twenty rebel groups in Chad has rejected the military government’s accusation that violent protests across the country were an “insurrection”.
The Permanent Cadre for Consultation and Reflection (PCCR) condemned the Military Government’s recent announcement that elections would be delayed for two years. In a communique released on Oct 26 they called the protests that followed the announcement “legitimate”.
The PCCR had boycotted the national dialogue talks which ended in October with an announcement that the military government of General Mahamat Deby would remain in power for another two years.
The PCCR said it “opposes all manoeuvres aimed at perpetuating illegal and illegitimate governance, the permanent institution of barbarism in Chad” and “rejects the false accusations against the organisers of the October 20 protests”.
“The PCCR supports the just and legitimate claims of the oppressed masses throughout the country”, the statement declared.
Scores of people were killed and hundreds wounded when people took to the streets on Oct 20 to protest the delay to elections.
Gen Deby used a national address on Oct 23 to condemn the protestors, blaming them for the violence which he called “an insurrection”.
The organisers of the demonstrations had “recruited and used terrorist groups and paramilitary persons to carry out mass assassinations in Chad”, Deby said.
Gen Deby leads the Transitional Military Council which took power after Idriss Deby, Mahamat’s father, was killed in April 2021.
- HumAngle