Oct. 20 () –
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, condemned this Thursday the violence during the protests in Chad, which has left at least 50 dead, called by the decision of the country’s president, Mahamat Idriss Déby, to consolidate in office for the next two years.
“The repression of demonstrations and the excessive use of force constitute serious attacks on the freedoms of expression and demonstration that undermine the ongoing transition process,” Borrell explained in a statement.
The EU has called on the authorities “to quickly identify the perpetrators of this violence and bring them to justice.” “The EU reiterates the importance of a rapid return to constitutional order and a transition in a limited time that guarantees respect for Human Rights and fundamental freedoms,” he concluded.
The riots have been strongly repressed by the security forces, which add up to at least a dozen deceased agents, and have been registered both in the capital, N’Djamena, and in Moundou, the second largest city in the country.
Chad’s transitional prime minister, Saleh Kebzabo, has decreed a curfew this Thursday in the capital and in two other towns — Doba and Koumra — near the city of Moundou. The exceptional measure will come into force tonight and will run from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. (local time).
