The Republic of Chad is the largest landlocked country in Africa. It owes its name to the fourth largest lake in Africa – “Chad” in the language of the Kanuri people means “big water.” The flat territory of the Republic of Chad covers part of the Sahara Desert, the Tibesti Highlands, the Erdi and Enedi plateaus, and the Vadai massif. Elephants, buffaloes, antelopes, giraffes are found in the savannahs; almost no one lives in the desert zone. The vegetation here is extremely sparse, and in some places, completely absent. This country is impoverished, despite the existing oil fields. At the same time, Chad is among the three youngest countries in Africa. Most of the population is engaged in agriculture, the main branch of which is cotton growing. Along with poverty, the country faces the problem of international terrorism. In Chad, human trafficking, illegal arrests, and violence are commonplace, and the Government takes almost no measures to stop it.
Internal conflicts and protests are still taking place in the country. Most recently, the opposition opposed the election of the president for the sixth time. The protesters demonstrated a call for changes, for an end to social and economic injustice. People showed their dissatisfaction in every possible way, which caused cruel and inappropriate treatment. Some protesters were wrongfully arrested, despite every citizen’s exceptional opportunities and rights, freedom of expression (Human Rights Watch, 2021). Members of the security forces beat protesters, killed innocent residents, and even tortured some with electric current. They used tear gas on peaceful demonstrators to disperse the gathering that was beginning. In Chad, there are police officers’ inappropriate behavior, violation of people’s rights, lack of freedom of expression, and restriction of peaceful assemblies.
Works Cited
Amnesty International. (2021). Chad: Opposition members and human rights activists banned from freely protesting ahead of election.Amnesty International.
Braunstein, Adam. (2017). Human rights in Chad. The Borgen Project.
Happi, C. (2021). Chad conflict insights.The Africa Portal.
Human Rights Watch. (2021). Chad: pre-election crackdown on opponents. Human Rights Watch.
Remadji, G. G. (2020). Chad and its conflicts with neighboring countries. Ifriqiya, 5(1).
Shriner, D., & Rotimi, C. N. (2018). Genetic history of Chad.American journal of physical anthropology, 167(4), pp. 804-812.
United States Department of State. (2018). Trafficking in Persons Report – Chad.UNHCR.
U.S. Embassy in Chad. (2019). Chad makes progress combating trafficking in persons.U.S. Embassy in Chad.