Amnesty International Report 2005 - Chad

Covering events from January - December 2004

Nearly 100,000 new refugees, fleeing conflict and widespread systematic human rights violations in the Darfur region of Sudan, arrived in eastern Chad. Chadian civilians as well as refugees were attacked during cross-border incursions by a militia allied to the Sudanese government. Freedom of expression remained under threat. Investigations into human rights violations and other crimes allegedly committed by former President Hissein Habré and his associates appeared to have stalled. Nineteen death sentences were passed. No executions

were reported.

Background

An apparent attempted coup, reportedly involving officers and several hundred troops from the Zaghawa ethnic group of President Idriss Déby as well as members of President Déby's close family, took place in May. Later that month, an amended constitution allowing President Déby to stand for a third term was adopted by the National Assembly, dominated by Idriss Déby's Patriotic Salvation Movement (Mouvement patriotique du Salut, MPS).

The Movement for Democracy and Justice in Chad (Mouvement pour la Démocratie et la Justice au Tchad, MDJT), the most active of a plethora of largely inactive armed political groups, did not appear to engage in significant military activity in Tibesti, northern Chad, its area of operation, during 2004. In October, the National Resistance Alliance, which groups together several armed political groups, announced that it was pulling out of a January 2003 peace agreement with the government of Chad. However, it apparently did not resume conflict.

In March, the Chadian armed forces, which received renewed US military support, clashed in Tibesti with an Algerian armed political group, the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (SGPC), which had retreated into northern Chad from Niger. The SGPC leader was captured by the MDJT, which handed him over to Libya in October for extradition to Algeria, where he was considered to be at risk of torture. He was likely to face trial on serious charges and could face the death penalty (see Algeria entry). The fate of at least 10 other SGPC fighters reportedly detained by the MDJT was not clear.

In October, President Déby accused a consortium of international corporations involved in a major oil exploitation project in southern Chad of failing to respect their agreements with the Chadian government.

Outbreaks of intercommunal violence between local farmers and nomadic herders, particularly in southern Chad, led to scores of deaths and the theft of livestock and destruction of property.

The spread of conflict from Sudan

In January, the Sudanese air force reportedly bombed Tiné close to the border with Chad, killing two civilians and injuring at least 10 among the refugee population on the Chadian side of the border. Chad continued to mediate in the conflict. However, fighting continued despite the signing of a new ceasefire agreement in N'Djaména in April.

Numerous incursions by the Janjawid militia from Sudan into Chad took place, with regular reports of looting and the killing of civilians. Relations between the Chadian and Sudanese governments deteriorated and there were clashes in Chad between Chadian security forces and the Janjawid in which civilians were reportedly killed. Reports of recruitment of Chadians by the Janjawid, and allegations of links between key figures of the Chadian government and the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) and the Justice and Equity Movement, armed political groups operating in the Darfur region, in which many Zaghawa were involved, highlighted the risk that the Darfur conflict could spread.

Refugees from Sudan

There were more than 200,000 Sudanese refugees in Chad, nearly 100,000 of them arriving in 2004. Throughout the year, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) attempted to relocate refugees to more accessible camps and to camps further from the border.

The huge influx of refugees, combined with the poverty of the local community as well as the increase in insecurity due to militia attacks, led to increasing tensions between the refugees and host communities. Late in the year at least one refugee girl was raped and other refugees were attacked as they collected wood.

Two refugees were shot and killed by members of the Chadian security forces in unclear circumstances following disturbances in the Forchana refugee camp. Arms were seized from the camp and at least 19 refugees arrested. Some of those arrested were reported to have been badly beaten. Following the disturbances in two refugee camps in July, humanitarian organizations were temporarily denied access to the camps by government authorities. Further violence and threats against humanitarian workers were reported in November 2004.

Freedom of expression under attack

Journalists were arbitrarily arrested, beaten and threatened. In February, Tchanguis Vatankhah, director of a private local radio station, Radio Brakos, in Moissala, southern Chad, was summoned for questioning at Moissala police station where he was reportedly beaten severely. The attack followed the broadcast of an interview with the leader of the opposition National Union for Development and Renewal Party. He was released without charge two days later.

In May, another private radio station, FM Liberté, was threatened with closure after broadcasting a call by activists for people to protest against the constitutional amendment allowing President Déby to restand for president. In June, FM Liberté was awarded six million CFA francs (approximately US$12,300) by the administrative chamber of the Supreme Court in damages following its suspension in 2003. The radio had been suspended on the orders of the Minister of Territorial Administration, after it criticized President Déby, although the constitutional authority to take such action rests with the Higher Communication Council. Tracts containing death threats against two FM Liberté journalists were delivered to the radio in July.

Impunity

No formal charges had yet been brought in Chad against people suspected of committing human rights violations and other crimes during the presidency of Hissein Habré (1982-1990) despite judicial investigations. The progress of investigations was not clear.

Possible 'disappearance'

• Colonel Abdoulaye Sarwa, a former leader of an armed political group who had rejoined the government armed forces in 2003, "disappeared" following his arrest in October by members of the National Security Agency. The official reason for his arrest was given as "lack of military discipline". His family and human rights groups were unable to confirm his whereabouts. In November he was reported to be detained in Tanoua, close to the Libyan border, but this could not be confirmed.

Death penalty

In July, 19 men were sentenced to death by N'Djaména criminal court for murder or complicity in the murder of 21 peasant farmers in southern Chad in March, as well as the wounding of 10 other farmers and the theft of livestock. The killings followed a conflict between local farmers and nomadic herders. One other person was known to be under sentence of death. No executions were reported.

AI country reports/visits

AI visited Sudanese refugee camps in eastern Chad in May.