Dozens killed in Chad after protesters demand civilian rule
Greetings to everyone on the InformationWar community. It's news from Africa today and it's talks about protesters, transition to civilian rule and many others. Good evening!
Today being Thursday, some protesters went to the street of Chad's capital Ndjamena to protest against the refusal of the current military government to hand over power to a civilian government.
During the protest the Chad military opened fire and killed dozens of anti-government protesters and it has been reported that about 30 people have been dead during the process.
Another 32 protesters were killed in Chad’s second-largest city, Moundou, according to an official in the city’s morgue. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said more than 60 people were wounded.
The N'Djamena main hospital is full with demonstrators who had gunshot wound and this has overwhelmed the doctors in the said hospital.
Police earlier fired tear gas at the crowds but the demonstrators continued advancing and their numbers grew. It was then that security forces opened fire, leaving protesters struggling to gather the dead from the scene.
Among those killed was a Chadian journalist, Narcisse Oredje, who worked for CEFOD radio and was struck by a bullet.Source
If this is the case, then I think the above number of dead bodies should surpass the statistics given in the official records. This can be said to be a genocidal issue.
The demonstrators were only protesting today because it's the initial date given to them that the military government will hand over power to a civilian government, although the date has been shifted to the next 24 months.
Power was handed over to the current military government after the former President Idriss Deby was killed at the battlefield when he visited the troops at the frontline of the battle in April 2021.
Mahamat Idriss Deby, his 38-year-old son, was then installed by the military as interim president. He had initially promised not to take part in elections that would follow an 18-month transition to civilian rule but as the deadline neared, a nationwide forum staged by Deby reset the clock.
It is reported that Mahamat Idriss Deby (the current military leader) will be among those contesting in the poll, although what protesters are after is the transition to civilian rule and not minding whether the deceased president's son will participate in the election.
Security forces have cracked down on several civil society and opposition-led protests denouncing the military takeover and France’s backing of the transitional government, at times killing people in the crackdown.Source
Government officials have denounced France involvement in the political affairs of her ex-colony, although it's the believe by the protesters that France is involved in the ongoing military rule in Chad.