2006 Chadian coup d'état attempt

The 2006 Chadian coup d'état attempt was an attempted coup d'état against Chadian President Idriss Déby that was foiled on the night of March 14 2006.

Plot

The coup involved members of the Chadian military, led by brothers Tom and Timane Erdimi, two high-ranking officers who had tried to overthrow Déby in 2004, and former General Seby Aguid. Minister of Communications and Culture, and Spokesperson for the Government Hourmadji Moussa Doumngor said that the Erdimi brothers were captured, while other rebel soldiers fled. Security Minister Routouang Yoma Golom told reporters, "There are around 100 members of the military implicated in this coup who have been arrested. They will be brought to trial. ... The situation is totally under control and calm has returned. The head of state has personally gone several times to military camps to restore order." [Betel Miarom, [http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=86&art_id=qw1142887682556B232 "Chad detains dozens after coup attempt"] , Reuters ("IOL"), March 21, 2006.] Golom said a military court will sentence them over the next one to two months while other plotters are sought in eastern Chad.

"People close to the Erdimi twins and General Seby Aguid wanted to take advantage of President Deby's absence while he was in Equatorial Guinea, to undermine the institutions of the republic," said a source close to Deby who asked to remain anonymous. []

Reaction

French Foreign Ministry spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei said the French were "following the situation with the greatest vigilance, given that Chad is going through a difficult situation because of the Darfur crisis."

Yaya Dillo Djérou, member of Platform for Change, Unity and Democracy, a subgroup of the UFDC, said the UFDC had tried to "smoke out the president from N'Djamena, but our plan was declared by some secret agents and then our people had to cancel the plan and get out of the town." Djérou was speaking in eastern Chad.

Suliman Baldo, Africa program director of the International Crisis Group think tank, said that "the calendar is really driving events ... the armed groups bent on toppling him don't want him to get to the elections."

The African Union issued a statement, "The President of the Commission of the African Union (AU) has strongly condemned the attempted coup d'état that has taken place in N'Djamena, Chad, in the night between March 14 and March 15 2006. Conformly to the Algiers Decision of July 1999 and the Lomé Declaration of July 2000 on changes of government by inconstitutional means, the President of the Commission has reiterated the AU's opposition to all taking power by violent means. The President of the Commission has launched an appeal to Chadian politicians so that they use dialogue to sort out their differences and promote the democratic process in their country."

Reassurances by Déby

On March 18 Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi phoned President Déby, who reassured Qadhafi that "The situation in Chad is under control." [cite news|publisher=AngolaPress|title=Idriss Deby tells Kadhafi calm returns to Chad|date=18 March 2006|url=http://www.angolapress-angop.ao/noticia-e.asp?ID=425670]

ee also

*Chadian coup of 1975
*Chadian-Sudanese conflict
*Government of Chad
*History of Chad
*United Front for Democratic Change

References