N’Djamena – Chadian authorities arrested 84 young activists linked to an opposition party who called for protests against a national dialogue under way in the country, police said.
A “caravan” of activists from the Transformers party was roaming the streets of the capital N’Djamena to promote a rally planned for Saturday.
“These youths were arrested without brutality,” read a police post on Facebook.
“They are in custody for the purposes of investigation” of an “unauthorised demonstration” and “disturbing public order”, a police statement said.
The activists are part of a coalition bringing together the majority of opposition movements and civil society organisations which are boycotting an ongoing national dialogue.
That process, launched on August 20 by the transitional President and head of the ruling military junta, General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, is ongoing despite the boycott.
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Deby Itno took power at the head of a transitional military council of 15 generals a day after the death of his father President Idriss Deby Itno fighting rebels in April 2021.
The dialogue has also been shunned by two of the country’s main armed rebel movements.
Without the political opposition and two of the most powerful armed movements, observers say the forum which is scheduled to last until September 20 has little chance of success.
“The time for intimidation of citizens is over and we do not rule out immediate popular action for the release of our comrades,” the group said on Facebook.
Like all the groups boycotting the dialogue, they say the meeting of some 1 400 delegates is between people handpicked by the junta or those close to it, calling the exercise a “monologue”.
The forum was promised by Deby Itno as soon as he took power, dissolved parliament and his father’s government and repealed the constitution.
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Source: AFP
Picture: Twitter/@OnuTchad.jpg
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