Chad’s transitional military council signed a deal with rebel groups in the Qatari capital Doha on Monday paving the way to a broader national reconciliation dialogue later this month, reported The Reuters.
The signing of the deal follows five months of talks between Chad’s interim military government headed by Mahamat Idriss Deby, who seized power following his father’s death last year, and rebel factions.
Talks between the two factions began in March in Doha, the Qatari capital.Deby had previously said that the dialogue would be a first step toward planning long-awaited elections.
Under the accord, talks aimed at paving the way for a presidential election will begin later this month. Chad’s military government has also agreed to not take any military or police action against the signing rebel groups in neighbouring countries.
“The agreement paves the way for the start of the comprehensive and sovereign national dialogue in the Chadian capital, N’Djamena, which aims to achieve comprehensive national reconciliation,” the Qatari foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
Deby has been in Doha since Friday to participate in the final stage of negotiations. Rebels have demanded Deby to not contest in any coming elections. The military junta has insisted that the decision will only be taken in the national dialogue talks.
Notably, the Front for Change and Concord in Chad, the main rebel group in the country, did not sign the pledge. The FACT group is blamed for the 2021 killing of Chad’s long time President Idriss Deby Itno, who had ruled the country since 1990.
Deby declared himself head of a Transitional Military Council in April 2021 after his father’s death. Initially his council said it would oversee an 18-month transition to democratic rule, but it has not taken any steps to organise the elections even as that deadline nears.
The national dialogue is currently set to begin on Aug. 20.
