Five days after the bloody repression of demonstrations that left at least 50 dead and 300 injured in Chad, the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) held an extraordinary summit on the subject in Kinshasa on Tuesday.
With our correspondent in Kinshasa, Patient Ligodi
Three heads of state had responded to the invitation of Félix Tshisekedi, who currently chairs ECCAS: the Chadian Mahamat Idriss Déby, the Congolese Denis Sassou-Nguesso and the Central African Faustin-Archange Touadéra. The leaders present in Kinshasa showed their solidarity with the Chadian people. They observed a minute of silence in memory of those who died. Without specifically targeting an actor, they condemned the use of violence for political ends.
Playing a tightrope, the leaders of the region congratulated the Chadian people for the organization of the national dialogue which, they say, was able to bring together most of the political parties, politico-military movements and civil society organizations.
The organization says it wants to play an important role during this two-year transition period. Thus, Felix Tshisekedi was appointed facilitator. Its mission will be to rebuild trust between different parties to the conflict. He will be supported in his role by two personalities including the Congolese Minister for Regional Integration and the President of the ECCAS Commission, the Angolan Gilberto Da Piedade Verissimo. The latter two are officially designated special envoys of the facilitator.
ECCAS believes that now is not the time to isolate Chad. It even asks the UN and the African Union to strengthen their diplomatic, financial, material and technical support for the transition process in this country.