At least fifty people died as a result of the protests’ harsh repression.
Deby criticized the demonstrations and further cautioned the opposition against insurgency.
Deby claimed a “meticulously planned revolt” had occurred on Monday with the “assistance of foreign forces,” though he made no mention of any specific nations.
“These were not simple demonstrations that were brought under control but a real, carefully orchestrated insurgency to create chaos in the country,” Déby said.
“external actors have provided arms and money to opportunistic Chadians who have not hesitated for a moment to destroy our country to satisfy their personal interests and foreign agendas. Even today, Chadian actors have sought the support of foreign powers to pressure and blackmail me so that they can accede to power,” Déby lamented.
Chad’s opposition had called for peaceful protests on Thursday to mark the date when the military had promised to hand over power in the unstable Sahel country.
On the other hand, Derby called for national unity for the sake of peace in the country.
” I will not accept that the nation be divided, the country fragmented and our unity mortgaged. I will use all legal means at my disposal to prevent these projects that are harmful to our country,” he said.
Mahamat Idriss Deby, the 38-year-old five-star general who leads the Junta, has been in charge since since his iron-fisted father was assassinated in a rebel-hunting operation in April 2021.
50 people perished during confrontations in the capital N’Djamena and the south, prompting the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) to accuse the Chadian government of summary killings and torture on Monday.
During demonstrations on Thursday against a plan by Chad’s military ruler to extend his junta’s hold on power for another two years, the Geneva-based NGO named “severe human rights breaches.”
In a call for an immediate investigation, the OMCT and three human rights organizations from Chad stated they have brought the case to UN special rapporteurs or experts.
Chad’s opposition had called for peaceful protests on Thursday.
Mahamat Idriss Deby, the 38-year-old five-star general who leads the Junta, has been in charge since since his iron-fisted father was assassinated in a rebel-hunting operation in April 2021.
The transitional government acknowledged that 50 people, including 12 security personnel, perished on October 20 and blamed a “insurrection”.
He claimed opposition and rebel groups had “recruited and employed terrorist and paramilitary groups to carry out needless mass executions” and that there was a “clear determination to start a civil war.”
But hundreds were reportedly hit by live fire from the security forces, according to medical sources and ONGs.
At least 80 people have died, according to the OMCT, in N’Djamena and four southern towns: Moundou, Doba, Koumra, and Bebedjia.
“Bodies of slain protesters were recovered from the Chari River in N’Djamena over the weekend,” the OMCT statement said noting school classrooms had been turned into prisons at the Abena Communal high school in the capital.
“Young people were reportedly summarily executed there this morning (Monday),” the statement said, adding that hundreds had been arrested, and some tortured.
The United Nations called for a probe into claims of human rights breaches and stated that it “deplored the fatal use of force.”
The suppression of the protesters has also been denounced by the African Union and the European Union.
