International investigators will soon arrive in Chad to investigate the deadly crackdown on the October 20 protests.
The authorities in Ndjamena have given their approval for the presence of international investigators.
A fact-finding mission will be deployed to Chad in the coming days to try to establish the truth about the violent crackdown on protesters opposed to the continued rule of Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, the transitional president and son of the late President Idriss Deby.
These events, which took place three weeks ago, resulted in the death of some 50 people and left 300 injured.
Under fire since then, the Chadian government was pressured by the international community and human rights organizations to open an international investigation.
The latter believe that nothing can justify the abusive use of force against citizens who were expressing their opinion on the democratic functioning of their country.
A facilitation mission of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) has been underway since October 25.
It will be reinforced in the coming days by investigators from the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN).
The project thus consists of a joint ECCAS-AU-UN fact-finding mission.
While N’Djamena has agreed in principle, the details are still sketchy, raising doubts about the independence of the investigators.
In response to the violently suppressed demonstrations, General Mahamat Idriss Déby, Chad’s transitional president, spoke on October 25, branding them an “insurrection meticulously orchestrated” by the opposition led by the leader of the ‘Transformateurs, Succes Masra’ Party, with the “support of foreign powers” that he did not name.
According to media sources, the opposition fled Chad to neighboring Cameroon after the October 20 bloodbath.
On that day, the opposition called for demonstrations against the regime of the son of the late Idriss Déby.
He had just extended the transition by two years, following a national dialogue boycotted by a large section of the opposition, civil society, and armed rebels.
Proclaimed president after the death of his father, who was killed at the battlefront by rebels, the young general had just clocked 18 months at the helm.
ODL/te/fss/as/APA