Chadian government is stepping up repression

Significance

Authorities said 50 people had died during the unrest, although OMCT placed that number at 115 due to violent repression. Protesters gathered in Chad’s capital N’Djamena and other cities, such as Moundou in the south, to denounce the ruling Military Transition Council (CMT)'s extension of its tenure to 2024.

Impacts

• Rebels who refused to reconcile with the government are likely to see this massacre as proof of the CMT's authoritarian nature.
• Prime Minister Saleh Kebzabo will likely be a lightning rod for criticism as other opposition figures denounce him as a sell-out.
• Tensions will persist as bodies are buried and political grievances intersect with other issues such as flooding.