Last April saw the sudden battlefield death of Chadian president, Idriss Deby, during a skirmish with insurgent rebels in the country’s northern region. Soon after, Deby’s son, Mahamat, emerged to temporarily dissolve parliament and establish military rule, until a new democratic election in 18 months. This has caused even more chaos to unfold in the region, as outroar against the military takeover has brought citizens to the streets in protest, leading to violent clashes between Chadian military forces and citizens.
In recent protests in the nation’s capital, N’Djamena, protesters were met with military opposition in the form of tear gas and batons. Some protestors committed acts of vandalism, including the burning of cars and French flags, which led to the arrest of at least 30 people.
Even though the military has faced opposition, it has also been met with support. Importantly, France initially expressed support for the military takeover, even though it recently called instead for the temporary establishment of a civilian government. The president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo spoke out in support of the takeover, but with the caveat that the nation must hold elections in 18 months as promised.
This seems like an exceptionally complicated situation, and it is hard for me to reach any particular conclusion from my own profoundly uninformed vantage. It seems Chad is a case of a nation that, in the midst of dire chaos, decisively imposes military rule to restore order and stability. It is certainly harsh and undemocratic in nature, but as a temporary measure in a time of conflict, such responses sometimes seem necessary, and perhaps in this case it is.