Catholic Bishops’ Commission in Chad “greatly concerned” about Inter-community Clashes

“This can only cause indignation and frustration of any honest and responsible citizen,” CEJP members in Chad add.

While expressing compassion for the grieving families, CEJP members say they “strongly condemn these acts which aim to sow desolation and put to question all the efforts made by various actors to maintain social cohesion and the socio-economic development of peaceful citizens.”

Tension has been high in Chad following last October’s extension of the mandate of the President of the Transitional Council, Mahamat Idriss Déby.

In April 2021, President Idriss Déby Itno who had been at the helm of the country since 1990 died after succumbing to injuries reportedly from a battle with the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT), a dissident army rebel group in the Northern part of the country.

Following his death, a transitional council of military officers led by Deby's son, Mahamat, as interim president, started overseeing Chad’s transition period for the next 18 months.

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In October 2022, Chad’s military leader, Mahamat, was named President of the transition following deliberations of the country’s National Inclusive Dialogue (DNI), RFI reported. 

He was sworn in on 10 October 2022 as President of a two-year transitional period ahead of "democratic" elections, a move that sparked violent protests that have results in deaths.

In their May 8 statement, CEJP members in Chad call on the government “to take prompt action to arrest the perpetrators of these killings, which are only increasing in number, and to provide justice to the victims.”

They also call on the people of God in Chad “to remain calm and to favor, in their daily interactions, the paths of dialogue and collaboration to ensure that their rights prevail.”

CEJP members also join their voice “to those of all the development partners who are working with abnegation and objectivity in the search for a holistic solution for a better co-existence between the communities which must always be treated with equality and equity.”

“Let's work for sustainable peace in our country,” CEJP members say in their May 8 statement in which also voice their concerns about Chad’s “energy crisis characterized by fuel scarcity and untimely power cuts.”

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.