Hundreds of people demonstrate against the Chadian junta

Hundreds of people demonstrated against the Chadian junta on Saturday amid heightened security in the capital N’Djamena, an AFP journalist reported, as tension grips the country after the death in April of the former president Idriss Deby Itno.

The month of August was also marked by unrest after civil society organizations called for protests against the “takeover” in April by the Transitional Military Council (CMT) and Deby’s aged son. 37-year-old Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno after the death of his father while fighting the rebels.

Deby senior has passed away at the age of 68 after more than three decades in power and on the verge of winning a sixth term.

The army officer took power in 1990 during an armed uprising.

The demonstrators on Saturday castigated the attitude of the former colonial power, France, which the opposition accuses of supporting the junta.

The march, which was authorized by the authorities and proceeded in peace, saw slogans such as “Chad is not a kingdom” and “No to French support to the Déby father-son system”.

Succes Masra, a big rival in the Deby family and founder of the opposition party The Transformers, was attending a rally for the first time since Deby’s death.

“If it is not only for the memory of our martyrs, we must never give up the fight,” he told reporters, referring to several deaths during a banned demonstration on April 27.

“We are marching today to demand the revision of the charter governing the transition (to a new government) and of the ordinances setting up committees which are not inclusive for the dialogue,” said Max Loalngar, spokesperson for the opposition platform Wakit Tamman.

Deby junior has promised “free and democratic” elections after an 18-month national reconciliation dialogue process, although the junta has not ruled out an extension of this timetable and has since its arrival dissolved parliament and repealed the constitution.

The promised dialogue, supposed to include harsh criticism, has yet to begin and a 93-person body supposed to draft a new constitution has yet to be appointed.