Chad’s Foreign Affair Minister Cherif Mahamat Zene on Monday announced he was stepping down from the post due to disagreements with some of the country’s senior politicians over the government’s decision to open dialogue with rebels and end military rule, reported The Reuters.
Zene’s resignation came amid ongoing talks between the government representatives and various rebel and opposition groups in Qatar’s capital Doha. The talks, which began on August 20 after repeated delays, are aimed at paving the way to elections after the military seized power last year. Many opposition parties, rebels and civil society groups have boycotted the talks.
“My willingness to serve my country finds itself at odds with parallel actions and initiatives of certain members of your cabinet and the government,” Chad’s Foreign Minister Zene said in a letter to the president that was posted on his official Twitter account.
He did not directly mention about the ongoing talks but said the situation had stripped his department of its prerogatives and kept him in a mere background role.
In April 2021, Chadian President Idriss Deby died from wounds sustained in clashes with rebels from the Front for Change and Concord. After his sudden death, the country’s military established the Transitional Military Council set to oversee an 18-month transition to civilian rule, until new elections are held.
The military installed as interim president his son Mahamat Idriss Deby, who initiated talks with rebel groups that had long challenged his father’s regime. Zene was appointed as the Foreign Affairs Minister in the transitional government in May 2021.
Chad’s transitional authorities signed a peace pact with over 30 rebel and opposition groups last month in which they agreed to join a national dialogue after years of turmoil.
Regional and international powers have been pushing for a swift return to democracy in Chad, which has long been a Western ally against Islamist militants.
