A rebel group in Chad has threatened to confront the military-led government in the country, following days after another rebel faction announced the end of a ceasefire that had been in place since 2021, prompting the interim president to head to the frontline. Tensions have renewed along Chad's northern border with Libya, where fighting between rebels and the army resumed after the death of President Idriss Déby in battle in 2021. His son, Mahamat Idriss Déby, took power after his father's death and is seeking to restore peace by granting amnesty to hundreds of imprisoned rebels and urging groups to engage in peace talks.
More than 30 opposition and rebel factions signed a peace agreement with the Chadian transitional authorities in Doha last year, but the strongest rebel groups, primarily the Front for Change and Concord in Chad based in Libya, refused to participate in the agreement. Déby faced another setback on Saturday when the group accused the authorities of bombing one of its bases last week, thereby ending the ceasefire declared in 2021. Déby responded on Sunday, stating that the army carried out the attack after the rebels crossed into Chadian territory.
In a televised address from the frontline, Déby announced he would be there for a week to oversee operations and warned the rebels that he would personally lead a fight against them if they did not cease their hostilities. Another rebel group followed suit on Tuesday, pledging to use "all necessary means" to restore democracy in Chad. The Popular Front for Reform stated in a message, "Our country is held hostage by a handful of reckless (individuals)," calling on all "national forces" to unite for a "national uprising."
