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Read, Debate: Engage.
| topic: | Peace and Reconciliation |
|---|---|
| located: | Chad |
| editor: | Bob Koigi |
The recent death of Chadian president Idriss Déby Itno has left the north-central African nation on edge and threatened to derail the war on terror in the region. The late president died after sustaining wounds in the battlefield as he led troops to fight off rebels.
Over the 30 years he has been in power, President Déby had built a name for his spirited effort at championing counterterrorism operations in the Lake Chad Basin and the Sahel region that have been under the grip of Al-Qaeda, ISIS and Boko Haram terror groups.
And while his rule has come under criticism for abuse of democracy and human rights, President Déby has for years been a darling of the US and Europe for his commitment to provide peace in a belt where rebels and terror groups have advanced their cause with fatal consequences, including murder of civilians, rape, torture and abuse of children’s rights. These conflicts have spilled over to numerous neighbouring countries.
The former Chad president is credited with contributing the highest number of troops to the G-5 Sahel force that includes Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
Chad has been partnering with France in the Barkhane operation to fight jihadist insurgency in the Sahel with N'Djamena, Chad’s capital being the headquarters of the operation. Out of all the troops in the G-5 Sahel operation, Chadian soldiers are billed as the most professional with experience in the most difficult assignments.
As Chad reels from a growing number of rebel groups that continue to threaten the country’s national security, and with a fallen general, there is the possibility of the country losing momentum in the anti-terror war.
This is why the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD), the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, the African Union and the international community must find innovative strategies and interventions to keep the war on terror active and with the same vigour that President Déby inspired in order to contain spillovers that threaten regional and global peace and security.
Image: africanews channel.
