Chadian soldiers form new rebel group
Oct 16, 2005 (PARIS) — The last week Chadian deserter soldiers said they say they are determined to drive out President Idriss Deby from power, and they formed a new political movement, Radio France Internationale reported.
The dissident soldiers, who refuse to be referred to as deserters, have presented themselves as a structured movement that they have called SCUD, as a Platform for Change, National Unity and Democracy.
The deserters affirm that they are 370 in number.
Yahya Dilo a former officer of the Chadian army and former member of the Chadian ruling MPS party, is the leader of the dissident soldiers members of SCUD.
Speaking from the north-eastern Chad near the border with western Sudan, Dilo said “I don’t agree with the term deserter. It is senior officers of the Chadian army who carried out a detailed survey of the current political situation in the country, and who presented petitions to the president not to modify the constitution, to make concessions to negotiate peace with all Chadians. They saw that the president was insisting on staying in power at all costs, and these people decided it was time to get organized to remove Deby”.
He further said “Deby’s continued stay in power is contested at all levels. He is trying to negotiate, but we will not negotiate his stay, we will only negotiate his departure.”
The authorities in N’djamena have acknowledged the recent defections from the army, but they estimate that only about 40 soldiers have are involved. The authorities say they are prepared to negotiate with the deserters, but in case of an impasse the government has threatened to resort to the use of force.
Hourmadji Moussa Doumgor, the Chadian minister for information, said to RFI the insurgents are currently surrounded. “The situation is under the control of the regular troops. All attempts towards negotiations and conciliation will be put to use. However, if the mutineers decided to use force, naturally, the forces surrounding them will take measures and respond in kind.”
But in an interview with the Chadian opposition website Alwihdainfo in French, Dilo denied that his troops are surrounded by the government forces.
Libyan leader Muammar Kadhafi yesterday condemned the desertion by the Chadian soldiers and offered to meet them in order, according to him, prevent them taking destructive action.
(ST)