After months of negotiations to resolve the conflict in Chad, the transitional government and rebel groups reached a peace agreement. The agreement, signed on Monday in the local capital Doha with the mediation of Qatar, aims to inaugurate a broad dialogue of national reconciliation that should begin at the end of this month. More than 30 rebel groups participated in the agreement signing ceremony.
Foreign Minister of the interim military government, Mahamat Zene Cherif, said he hoped this would lead to lasting peace in the Central African country. The national dialogue is scheduled to begin on August 20 with around 1,500 delegates.
Talks are expected to involve a wide range of groups and parties, as well as the government and rebels. “Most armed groups have signed this agreement and will participate in the national dialogue,” said the minister. It is a forum for all people, he added, dismissing concerns that not all groups signed the agreement. According to sources, the signatories committed to a permanent ceasefire and the disarmament of civilians. The interim military government also promised not to take action against rebel groups in neighboring countries that signed the agreement.
However, the Front for Change and Harmony in Chad (FACT) rebels rejected the deal. Their demands, such as the release of prisoners, have not been adequately met, said the Libya-based group. However, FACT is open to further negotiations.
The interim military government is led by Mahamat Idriss Deby, who took power last year after the death of his father. He had been appointed head of a transitional military council in April 2021 after his father, longtime ruler Idriss Deby, was killed while visiting the northern front. The council originally said it would oversee an 18-month transition to democratic government. But as the deadline approaches, there are few signs of elections being organised.