Chad’s military leader and interim president Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno has named several former rebels to ministerial posts in the new national unity government, reported The Reuters. The new government was formed on Friday to lead the country for the next two years until elections.
The government is the result of a national dialogue held in recent months aimed at easing political tensions. Several prominent former rebel leaders were also invited to attend the national dialogue.
According to a statement released by the presidency, the list of former rebels who have been named as ministers include Tom Erdimi, who has been named minister of higher education, and Assileck Halata Mahamat named as the new minister of urbanism.
Budget and Finance Minister Tahir Hamid Nguilin, who has been handling Chad’s debt negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), retains his post in the new government.
The reconciliation effort has been led by Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Deby, who seized power in April 2021 after his father, long-ruling president Idriss Deby, was killed on the battlefield during a conflict with insurgents.
After initially promising an 18-month transition to elections, Deby recently pushed back the date by two years. Earlier this month, the national forum announced that the democratic elections have been pushed back until around October 2024. Among a raft of resolutions adopted under a revised transition charter, the forum also ratified Deby’s right to seek for the presidency after the transition.
Last week, Deby appointed veteran Chadian politician and former opposition figure Saleh Kebzabo as the country’s new prime minister.
“The mission of our government is specific and it will consist in leading our country towards the first free and fair elections in its political history,” had’s new prime minister Kebzabo wrote on his official Facebook page.
“All those who agree to build a Chad of open democracy by my side will be welcome,” he added.
