Rights groups urge appointment of UN envoy to Chad

June 9, 2009 (PARIS) – Human rights groups have called for the appointment of a United Nations special envoy to Chad considering insufficient the mere presence of the UN troops in that country.

“MINURCAT (UN Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad) is not sufficient: a special representative to promote dialogue must be appointed,” one international and two Chadian rights groups write in a letter sent to the UN Secretary General on Monday.

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the Chadian League of Human Rights (LTDH) and the Chadian Association for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (ATPDH) “consider that the appointment of a special representative to serve as political mediator is needed to stabilize Chad, and the sub-region.”

“The recent resumption of fighting in Chad (…) once again threatened the peace and regional security, and increased risk of worsening the humanitarian situation in eastern part of the country,” the NGOs write, referring to the rebel offensive in early May in eastern Chad.

The three NGOs stress the UN responsibility to draw the Chadian authorities to make every effort to establish a genuine and inclusive political dialogue “to find a lasting solution to the crisis.

They denounced the “arbitrary arrests and detentions, summary and extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances, sexual violence, torture” “not only during armed clashes between rebels and armed forces, but also in times of relative stability and with impunity.”

Eastern Chad is the permanent theater of fighting between Chadian rebel movements from Sudan or from Libya, and the Chadian army for nearly 20 years, with frequent fighting since 2005.

(ST)