A group of opposition parties and civil society organizations are seeking to challenge the designation of Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi as the facilitator of the Central African Economic Community (CEEAC). They have launched a petition to this end, which has stirred debate in N’Djamena as an envoy from the opposition’s Success Masra is expected in the Chadian capital after the postponement of his planned return.
The petition, aimed at garnering 200 signatures, has already received over 100 within three days of its launch. According to its initiators, Félix Tshisekedi, designated facilitator of the CEEAC, has continuously endorsed everything done by the junta since its inception.
Yaya Dillo, one of the opposition leaders, expressed his concerns, “We patiently accepted his continued facilitation with some caution, and time has proven us right. Every time he sent special envoys, it was for clientelism, a form of time illusion to deceive the actors, and we understood that he was playing with hypocrisy. Unfortunately, he is not an example of democracy. We will do everything to ensure that the famous principle of subsidiarity does not work in Chad.”
Jean-Bernard Badaré, the spokesperson of the MPS, the party of the late President Idriss Déby, which supports his son, considers this agitation futile: “The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on, for a simple reason: the facilitator was not appointed by Chad. As such, he is doing his job. So, people counted on the failure of the facilitation. The facilitation will succeed, whether they like it or not. It’s just for show.”
Many observers believe that Félix Tshisekedi’s visit to N’Djamena in July was intended to find a solution to the political crisis in Chad. However, they note the opposite outcome. If his mission had been successful, the political climate in Chad would be more relaxed today, and Success Masra would have returned without problems, as initially planned.