The agreement signed between the Chadian government and the popular committee known as the “Diva Al-Watan” in Miski, a self-defense committee, is a “historic peace” agreement aimed at establishing stability and enhancing development in the Tibesti region. A government official revealed further steps to Sputnik. Deputy Secretary-General of the Chadian government, Minister Saleh Burma, emphasized that the recent peace agreement is not just a political agreement but a beginning in the field. Minister Saleh Burma told Sputnik that transforming the region into a demilitarized zone, free of light and heavy weapons, is the greatest guarantee for the security of the residents and the stability of the state. Clearing the land of mines reflects a sincere will to close the painful chapter of the past and open a new page of construction and peaceful coexistence.
The minister added, discussing the guarantees associated with the agreement and its resilience, that the first guarantee is disarming the parties and placing weapons under the authority of the state, thereby enhancing its prestige and sovereignty. The second guarantee involves direct supervision by state institutions, in cooperation with the clearance of mines, and the participation of local residents in this process enhances trust and makes them partners in protecting their land and maintaining peace.
The Chadian government is also clearing lands of mines, in cooperation with specialized agencies, to protect civilian lives and pave the way for agricultural and pastoral development. According to the minister, these steps also aim to assert the authority of the state by deploying only legitimate regular forces, prohibiting any armed presence outside the framework of the state, and launching developmental and service projects to prove to the residents that the fruits of peace are tangible in their daily lives.
He continued by saying: “The step becomes a dual message—internally, as a pledge; externally, as a serious commitment to building a strong nation governed by peace and national spirit.” The main points of the new agreement include renouncing all acts of violence, integrating former fighters into the defense and security forces after training in specialized centers, granting a general amnesty to members of the national defense and security forces covering the period 2019-2020, and implementing a demining program to restore the security of local residents, according to local press.
In 2018, tensions erupted in Tibesti over the exploitation of mineral resources, leading to an agreement in 2019, but it quickly collapsed, and the area remained a hotbed of tension from time to time.
