Source : Sahel weather June 2024

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This is the sixth time in two years that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has completed a diplomatic tour of Africa. This time, after Guinea, Congo-Brazzaville and Burkina Faso, he ended his tour in Chad. After talks with Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby, he went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a meeting with his Chadian counterpart. On the agenda were the "renewal of the military agreement in force since 2013 to bring it into line with Chad's objectives" and the desire to "increase cooperation in economic and commercial matters" between the two countries, according to Lavrov. "We asked Chad to draw up a list of areas in which it would like to see the participation of Russian economic operators", he told a press conference after the meeting. This visit to Chad - France's last major military ally - is clearly part of Moscow's plan to strengthen Russia's presence in African regions historically under French influence. In addition, a demonstration - scheduled for June 10 - against the presence of French troops has been banned by the Chadian authorities, citing "risks of disturbing public order."

A few days later, an explosion at an ammunition depot in N'Djamena killed nine people and injured 46 others, on the night of Tuesday June 18 to Wednesday June 19. The incident rekindled concerns about the safety of ammunition depots in urban areas, and sparked debate about the management of military stocks in urban areas.

One month after the May 6 presidential election, the Chadian branch of the NGO "Tournons la page" published a damning report on the electoral process. The document denounces political violations and serious irregularities, such as the death of several people, the exclusion of candidates and doubts about the transparency of the electoral process. Expressing reservations about the credibility of the ballot, the NGO also calls for the publication of results by polling station for independent verification.

During a state visit to Chad, the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix Tshisekedi, was honoredby the Chadian authorities. Awarded the Grand Cross of the National Order of Chad, the medal recognizes his role as a facilitator in the peaceful resolution of regional political crises. Tshisekedi was appointed facilitator in the aftermath of the bloody repression of the October 20, 2022 demonstrations, and also worked for the return to the country, under an amnesty agreement, of then-opponent and former Prime Minister Succès Masra.