Is Chad a democracy — or a dynasty? The people of the country cast their ballots on May 6 — the first presidential election since a wave of coups hit Africa’s Sahel region. The vote comes three years after Chad’s
current military leader came to office: Mahamat Deby seized power in 2021 after rebels killed his long-ruling father — and the son has been head of a military junta since then.
When the four-star general took the helm, he promised to hand back power to a civilian government within 18 months. But he did not — triggering violent protests when he extended his interim presidency in 2022.
Last year, Chad held a referendum on a new constitution, which the junta said would be a key step towards civilian rule and democracy. The opposition says it paved the way for Déby to cement his grip on power. Much like the current election, critics argue: Déby’s main rival, Yaya Dillo, was shot dead in an army assault on his party’s headquarters in February. Human Rights Watch says he was killed point-blank with a single bullet to the head. Déby’s main surviving rival is Succès Masra, an organizer of the 2022 protests who had fled to exile in DRC. But in January, in a surprise twist, Déby granted him amnesty and appointed him prime minister. His party says his supporters have been intimidated and his home put under surveillance.
But critics of Déby say Masra is just a stooge and the election just a show, guaranteeing the heir to the throne remains in power and leaving little real choice for Chadian voters.
00:00 Intro
01:45 DW speaks with Oluwole Ojewale, political analyst and expert on the Sahel region with the Institute for Security Studies in Dakar
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