General
The holding of presidential elections on 6th May 2024, and legislative, provincial and communal elections on 29th December 2024 were critical features that marked the end of the post-coup transition period in Chad, which started after the military takeover in April 2021.
The presidential elections, intended to restore constitutional governance after the military coup, were reportedly marred by controversy. Despite signaling a return to democratic norms, the victory of Derby Itno faced strong opposition, notably from Prime Minister Succes Masra, who viewed the outcome as perpetuating the long-standing family rule, a viewpoint which had been long speculated by some analysts. The contested nature of the elections led to violence, resulting in civilian casualties and deaths due to celebratory gunfire from both military personnel and civilians, undermining the democratic transition process.
The aftermath of the presidential elections paved the way for significant political changes as the country worked to rebuild its democratic institutions. In February 2025, after a 14-year hiatus, a new National Assembly (NA) was established. However, the ruling party, Mouvement Patriotique du Salut (MPS), secured a substantial majority, winning 124 out of 188 seats. This dominance raised concerns about the state of political pluralism in the country. Additionally, tensions persisted between the state, media, and civil society organisations. This post-coup development would potentially provoke a complex and possibly fragile political and civic space environment as the country moved forward with its democratic processes.
ASSEMBLY
PEACEFUL PROTESTS PROHIBITED
On 22nd January 2025, the Ministry of Public Security and Immigration prohibited the holding of a peaceful protest planned by the Rassemblement des Jeunes Africains (R.J.A) for 24th January 2025. According to the Minister, the association failed to comply with articles 5 and 6 of Ordinance No. 011/PR/2023 of 1st August 2023, relating to demonstrations on the public highway; and banned on grounds of risks to public order. Similarly, a peaceful march scheduled for 17th March 2025 by Collectif des Victimes de licenciement supposé abusif de la Commission Nationale des Droits de l’Homme (CNDH) was banned by the Minister for the same reasons.
WOMEN PROTEST AGAINST GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE
On the evening of 1st January 2025, in N’Djamena, a 17-year-old girl was gang-raped by several unknown individuals while she was on her way home from the Dari festival, an event aimed at celebrating Chad’s cultural diversity. On 5th January, the Chadian League for Women’s Rights (LTDF) organised a sit-in just a few metres from the location where both the assault and the Dari festival took place. The protesters called for justice and accountability for the horrendous crime. The government and judicial authorities opened an investigation to identify and punish the alleged perpetrators, while the Ministry of Women and Early Childhood committed to offering psychological and material support to the victim and her family until her condition improves. The alleged perpetrators escaped to an unknown destination and the young girl received medical care.
PEACEFUL PUBLIC DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST FRENCH MILITARY PRESENCE IN CHAD
On 5th and 6th December 2024, peaceful demonstrations took place in Abéché and N’Djamena, with around 300 to 500 participants, including children, gathering to express their support for the Chadian government’s decision, announced on 28th November 2024, to terminate military agreements with France. The protest on 5th December occurred in Abéché, a key commercial centre in the eastern region of the country. The protest on the 6th was held near the N’Djari stadium in N’Djamena, the capital city. Although authorities authorised the gathering inside the stadium, they strictly prohibited any demonstrations on public roads. Despite this ban, small groups succeeded in assembling on the streets of the capital in the morning. No incident was reported.
EXPRESSION
The state of freedom of expression in Chad faces significant challenges, as evidenced by recent incidents of threats, censorship, and arbitrary arrests of journalists.
JOURNALISTS ARRESTED
On 5th and 9th March 2025 in N’Djamena, journalists Monodji Mbaindiguim Olivier, editor of the newspaper ‘Le Pays’ and correspondent for Radio France Internationale (RFI), and Mahamat Saleh Al Hisseine of Télé Chad, were respectively arbitrarily arrested and illegally detained on the orders of the Public Prosecutor, Oumar Mahamat Kedelaye. Both journalists were arrested for different but closely related motives. Whereas Olivier Monodji’s arrest on 5th March was connected to a September 2023 article regarding the opening of the Russian House in N’Djamena, Mahamat Saleh Al Hisseine was arrested and detained on 9th March after being accused of translating Russian documents that outlined the activities of its proxies in Mali and the economic situation in the Sahel. As a result, both journalists faced charges of espionage, conspiracy, and complicity against the state. The journalists were later transferred and detained at the Klessoum detention center, located east of the capital city of N’Djamena. If found guilty, the two journalists could face prison sentences ranging from 20 to 30 years, according to news sources. These charges have been labelled as politically motivated by both local and international activists and observers. On 24th March 2024, Monodji Mbaindiguim Olivier was heard by an examining magistrate and both journalists continued to be held in detention.
ACTIVIST THREATENED WITH ARREST
In January 2025 in N’Djamena, activist Scholastique Coco was reportedly threatened with arrest by the head of the Intelligence unit of the Directorate of Investigation and Intelligence for open criticism on her Facebook page claiming growing nepotism, injustice and discrimination in Chad. The threats led to Miss Coco’s lawyers organising a press conference to denounce the threats of arrest against their client.
MEDIA REGULATORS PROHIBIT FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
On 4th December 2024, during Chad’s local and legislative election campaigns, the Haute Autorité des Médias et de l’Audiovisuel (HAMA), the media regulatory authority, prohibited online media from disseminating audiovisual information. This contentious ruling mandated prior approval for publishing and broadcasting non-original media in unauthorised formats, sparking significant opposition from Chadian media outlets. For example, Chadian online media outlets organised a protest by designating Saturday 7th December 2024, which coincided with the start of the electoral campaign, as a day without press.
However, after the Online Media Association (AMET) filed a petition with Chad’s Supreme Court on 17th December 2024, the Court overturned HAMA’s decision. The Court ruled that the decision infringed upon the fundamental rights to information and freedom of expression and communication, as protected by Chadian law. Specifically, Ordinance No. 025/PR/2018, which regulates the written press and electronic media, stipulates that “any online newspaper may be published without prior authorisation and without the deposit of security after the declaration prescribed by this law”.
It should be recalled that in April 2024, HAMA suspended all interactive broadcasts in the public and private media sectors during the presidential campaign period, as previously reported by the Monitor.