Dr. Abdel Haq Azzouzi
Regarding the strategic role played by Chad in fighting terrorism, French President Emanuel and a number of African presidents attended the funeral of the late Chadian President Idris Deby held in N'Djamena, the capital city of Chad.
Deby who ruled for thirty years was one of the most important partners to the western capitals in fighting the Jihadists in the region of the African Sahel.
Deby died at 68 years from wounds sustained on the frontline in the north of the country, according to a statement issued by the Chadian army.
The army's statement revealed that the president went to the frontline to lead by himself battles against rebels coming from Libya.
The French President said during paying respect to Deby, that France won't let anyone threaten the stability of Chad and the integrity of its territories, neither now, nor tomorrow.
Following the death of the Chadian Marshal, sixteen officers formed a transient junta led by Mohamed Idris Deby (37 years), son of the late president, to rule during the transient period that extends for 18 months, and ends by free and democratic elections.
L'Élysée, the headquarter of the French presidency, has recently said, that with the death of Deby, France lost a brave friend.
The French presidency stressed the importance of the peaceful and smooth transfer of power in Chad, its ally in the African Sahel.
France reiterated its firm adherence to the stability and territorial integrity of Chad.
Analysts always speak about the rebels in Chad without identifying by name the party that runs, funds, or offers logistics or financial capabilities to the rebels.
The "Front for Change and Concord (FACT) in Chad", was formed in 2016 during preparations for the presidential election that year, after dissenting from another rebel group known as " Union of Democratic and Development Powers" which was supported by Sudan.
Mahdi Ali Mohamed, who studied in France before returning to Chad where he occupied a senior post in one of the ministries in 2005, leads the FACT.
M.A. Mohamed was one of the cadres of the opposing Movement of Democracy and Justice.
In 2008 he fled Chad as he feared being arrested after thwarting a putsch against Deby who stayed in power for thirty years.
In 2015. M.A. Mohamed moved to Libya where he worked to reorganize forces loyal to Mohamed Noor, the historic leader of rebels in Chad.
Later M.A. Mohamed announced forming the Front for Change and Concord (FACT) in April 2016.
The FACT takes the south of Libya, the northern neighbor of Chad, as stronghold and cadres of the front trained to fight during the endless war in Libya.
The front embraced strategies of alliances according to what serves its presence on the Libyan territories.
The FACT includes many militants who belong to various ethnicities but most of these militants belong to the Tubu tribes who settled on both sides of the Chadian-Libyan border.
It is worth mentioning that the former president is a descendant of the "Gorran" which is one of these tribes, whose members generally remained hostile to the authorities of N'Djamena and are occupying today high political and military positions in Chad, and their influence in power is important.
No one knows exactly the strength of the FACT as reports differ at defining the number of its militants and the arsenal of weaponry it acquires.
However, the FACT announced at its inception that it had 1500 militants.
According to a report issued by a commission of experts under the United Nations (UN) in December 2019, the FACT had 700 militants but this number was still growing.
Dire and not easy tasks await Mohamed Idriss Déby.
The most complicated of those tasks are retaliating against the rebels who killed his father, the way to stabilize peace in the country, absorbing the anger of the opposition, smartly managing the current stage, and organizing the presidential elections in a maximum period of 18 months.
The young president may benefit from the aids offered by the western powers, especially France, the former colonial power, which considers Deby's system as a basic partner in the war against the extremist Islamic movements in the African Sahel.
Before two months only, the French President participated through the video technology in a summit that brought together the leaders of the five African Sahel countries: Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger in the Chadian capital, N'Djamena.
The African leaders and the French President discussed the jihadist rebellion in the vast Sahel region.
France's permanent purpose is to enjoy European military support during the "Tacuba" mission, which helps Mali in its fight against extremists.
This support may reduce France's military commitments in the region so Chad is considered strategically in this regard.
Translated by Ahmed Moamar
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