Elevated fists and anti-French slogans: The images from the military takeovers in the Sahel states of Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, and Niger have recently borne a strong resemblance. These were coups that were sometimes greeted with loud mass demonstrations. Western observers now also see this as a protest by the youth against corruption and hopelessness, as well as a clear rejection of France's influence in the region.
A different scenario, however, unfolds in Chad, with which France maintains close relations even after the irregular change of power in 2021. There, long-time President Idriss Déby Itno died in April 2021 under unclear circumstances as rebels from the Front pour l’alternance et la concorde unsuccessfully attempted to advance towards the capital. In an unconstitutional process, a military transitional council subsequently installed Déby's son Mahamat as president. According to the constitution, the parliamentary president should have acted as the interim president and called for elections within 90 days - as explained by Helga Dickow, Chad expert at ABI.
You can find the complete text by Helga Dickow here (german).
Photo: Mit erhobener Waffe: Militärs im Tschad 2023 | Helga Dickow