The trial of 150 Chadian rebels accused of being behind President Idriss Déby’s assassination will begin on Monday. The trial would take place at a high-security facility in Kléssoum, according to judicial officials published by a local news website.
The accused are members of the Front for Concord and Change in Chad (FACT), a rebel group that in 2021 launched an offensive to topple the Chadian government from its background in Libya.
They are accused of engaging in terrorism, recruiting children as soldiers, using mercenaries, undermining state security, and assassinating a president who is currently in office.
While in charge of the army’s operations to push back the rebels, Idriss Deby was killed on the front lines in April 2021. In a vote that was deemed illegitimate, he had just received a new mandate.
The rebel advance was halted thanks to France’s assistance, which was provided by Chad’s new military overlords.
The rebel organization and the Chadian government’s negotiations have halted for almost two years since Deby’s passing.