While the situation is on its western and eastern shores devastating under new wars since earlier this year, the last weeks also infected the central-african regions.
Next to the permanent unrests in Mali, Niger and the areas where Boko Haram is active, now the fights Chad have intensified. According to media reports, rebels of the so called FARC-group meking their way from Libya down South towards the capital N´Djamena. The campaign started at election day for the presidency in the country on 11th of April, during which longtime president Idriss Déby was re-elected which lead to increasing unrest in the country. Déby holds the presidency since 1991 and conquered it as well by marching into the capital. This kinds of campaigns are happening in regular intervals and represent the regular change in power.
In terms of foreign policy Tchad holds an important role in the region and is the closest ally to France in the Sahelzone. They are the most important regional actor in the fight against Islamist, but as well in holding refugees back from travelling to Europe. It is also a regular player in the fight for power in its neighboring countries like the Centralafrican Republic or the Darfur region in Sudan.
For France, which is helping the government with its airforce, a fall of Déby might be a hard hit for its Sahel strategie and could undermine the european influence on the region as a whole.
Simon Dierich 