Historically, the two countries have had a delicate relationship, taking turns arming rebellions in each other. By the end of the 2000s, however, Idriss Déby and Omar el-Béchir had managed to iron out their differences, and Chadian leaders maintained contact with both the military and the RSF rapid support forces.
Since the outbreak of the crisis in Sudan, Mahamat Idriss Déby has twice called the two actors in the Sudanese crisis. According to the press release from the presidency, the head of the Chadian transition asked them for a “ cease fire “, and of “ favor the path of dialogue “.
A political solution is favored by Ndjamena, where we know that a conflict in Sudan can spill over into Chad, as the communities are intertwined between the two countries. The risk would be all the greater in the event of Hemedti’s military defeat. The rout of his men would make them difficult to control mercenaries in Darfur, believes a specialist in the region.
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If at the end of January, Mahamat Idriss Déby had received the two men in turn, he would rather lean in favor of General al-Burhan according to several sources. First, because it represents the institutional army, but also because, according to researcher Roland Marchal, the Chadian government has maintained good relations with several community leaders who have taken the side of the army chief.
He also considers that the presence of Bichara Issa Djadallah, cousin of Hemedti, in the post of special chief of staff of Mahamat Idriss Déby, does not have the same weight and that it is more a matter of recognition of his loyalty rather than a leading role, although he remains a transmission belt with the head of the RSF.
Ndjamena fears the risk of overflow on its territory
Sudan has always been watched like milk on the fire by the authorities in place in Ndjamena, reports our correspondent on the spot, Olivier Monodji. Of the the first hours of the conflict, the Chadian authorities have called for dialogue while indicating that many measures are taken to prevent any overflow on its territory.
” We have set up a crisis committee to deal with this situation and it is deplorable that a transition leads to a war like this in the city of Khartoum. We have made arrangements to close our borders. On Sunday, the Sudanese internal security force entered our house and we took all the measures to disarm and confine them, declared Daoud Yaya Brahim, the Minister of the Armed Forces, Veterans and Victims of War. We have more than 400,000 Sudanese refugees who have been with us since 2003, if tomorrow we were to welcome more, we would have to suffer the consequences “, he warned.
For Aziz Mahamat Saleh, minister of communication and door of the government, nothing can prevent Chad from contributing to the stability of Sudan. ” Peace in Chad depends on peace in Sudan and therefore we are intimately linked. It is in our role to do everything to try to bring people to the negotiating table “, he insisted.