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Deadly day Thursday in Chad during demonstrations called by the opposition to protest against the maintenance at the head of the transition of President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno. There were dozens of dead, civilians shot dead. The assessments put forward by one and the other diverge. At the end of the day on Thursday, Prime Minister Saleh Kebzabo spoke of “about fifty dead” and “300 injured”. He announced a curfew in four cities from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. until order is restored, as well as legal action. It blames the violence on the organizers of the demonstrations.
« What happened this Thursday is a coup attempt “, said Saleh Kebzabo, during the press conference he gave Thursday at the end of the day. In front of the journalists, the new transitional Prime Minister of Chad affirmed that the demonstrators were armed, trained in guerrilla techniques. It justifies the firing of live ammunition in the middle of the street.
It was a popular uprising to seize power by force, that’s what happened today and nothing else, it was not a peaceful march. The police must respect certain instructions, those not to fire live ammunition at the demonstrators. 1: they were not protesters. 2: the forces of order had to defend themselves.
Prime Minister Saleh Kebzabo
Saleh Kebzabo specifically implicates two opponents who were still in N’Djamena on Thursday evening: Success Masra and Yaya Dillo. The latter is the president of the Socialist Party Without Borders. ” Saleh Kebzabo seems to totally ignore the reality since it was the agents dressed in civilian clothes who started shooting with live ammunition, there is no insurrection as he says, but it was a massacre carried out by the security services who fired live ammunition. »
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Success Masra at the head of the Les Transformateurs party calls on Chad’s partners to take their responsibilities.
It is not for lack of having alerted. On the eve of this march, we wrote to the Secretary General of the United Nations, to all the chancelleries, to the African Union. We are being watched. Can Chad’s true friends finally, finally say which side they are on?
Success Masra, president of Les Transformateurs party
Success Masra said Thursday evening count 70 deaths throughout the country. In addition to those injured and killed, several demonstrators were arrested. To deal with the situation, the government has decided on a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in N’Djamena, Moundou, Doba and Koumra.
Seven political parties suspended
The activities of the political parties and organizations involved, in particular the Transformers and the Wakit Tama coalition, are prohibited throughout the national territory for a period of three months, indicates an order from the Minister of Territorial Administration.
An investigation will be carried out on the events of this Thursday and could lead to legal proceedings against them. In the meantime, the government has indicated that it will make every effort to ensure that order reigns throughout the territory. A curfew has been introduced between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. until order is restored in the capital and three other cities.
Two meters from me, they shot two people. I heard that the opposition had “trained” 1500 people. It’s wrong. The situation is deplorable. We shoot unarmed young people.”
Demonstrations in Chad: residents testify
The Reasons Of The Wrath
The inclusive and sovereign national dialogue organized from August 20 to October 8, decided, among other things, that the transition, which was 18 months renewable once, will be extended for two years. The leaders of the transition will be able to be candidates in the next elections, which should be held in 2024. These conclusions, the Socialist Party without Borders, the Transformers and the Wakit Tama coalition did not accept it. This is why they called for the demonstration on Thursday, the date marking the end of 18 months of transition decreed after the death of Marshal Idris Déby Itno in April 2021. For the protesters, this is nothing else than a dynastic succession plan. Fallacious and superfluous argument, replied the Prime Minister during the press conference, and added: “ dialogue has been decreed sovereign, it has declared itself sovereign. How does it come about that citizens allow themselves to challenge its conclusions? ».