Alhadj Barh hadn’t seen his wife in over two years when they reconnected at midday as the sun rose over N’Djamena, Chad’s capital. It was a new beginning for a man who had spent the previous year in jail after being convicted of being a member of a rebel organization accused of assassinating the president.
In March, Chad’s interim president, Mahamat Idriss Deby, purportedly made a peace gesture by releasing 380 members of the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT), the rebel movement accused of the 2021 killing of his father, longtime ruler Idriss Deby.
Due to a presidential pardon, Barh and many other convicts were released in early April.
While resting at home with his wife and four children, Barh stated his readiness to help with peace efforts if the government used an inclusive method.
“We are not bullies,” he said emphatically. If circumstances improve, I will do all I can to aid in national reconciliation.
Younger Deby’s military junta has launched peace talks with many rebel groups that have long opposed his father’s authority, but FACT has refused to engage until the transitional authorities free its members.
While hundreds have been freed, the bulk of the group’s senior leaders, including commander Mahamat Mahadi, remain imprisoned.
Former math instructor and FACT member Ouckonga Guelmine Kemnda, who was just released, shared this opinion.
“The government claims to be open to dialogue, but the person with whom it must communicate is imprisoned,” the 46-year-old told his family.
Furthermore, “When we want to talk to someone, we have to stay open,” he said.
The transitional authorities have not commented on the convicts’ words or their possible influence on the present peace initiatives. Elections are set for October 2024, therefore the junta will be in power until then.
