President Muhammadu Buhari has warned that allowing Chad Republic to destabilise would spell serious consequences for the peace and security of not just Nigeria but other countries in the Sahel and Chad Basin regions.
The President gave the warning on Tuesday while speaking at the opening of the Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) in Abuja, calling on the international community to support Chad in its transition process from military to democratic rule.
According to a statement issued by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, which was sighted by Africa Today News, New York the event was convened to discuss the recent developments in Chad after President Idris Deby Itno died on the frontline while defending the territorial integrity of his country.
Emphasising the need to assist the country to conclude its transition to democracy within 18 months, as promised by the Chairman of the Transition Military Council, General Mahamat Idris Deby, President Buhari said it is sacrosanct, just as it must be driven with the guidance of the nation’s constitution.
He, however, noted that the death of President Deby Itno had direct implications for the continued peace and stability of Chad as a nation, the Lake Chad region, and the wider Sahel region.
‘Our region is faced with difficult, several challenges that need the support and engagement of all to overcome.
‘‘While transnational crimes and rebellion cutting across our region continue to evolve in scope, the attendant conflicts also continue to retain their distinct form of inflicting untold hardship and difficulty on the lives of our citizens.
‘‘The threats by the Chadian rebel groups, who are clamouring to overthrow the government, must be viewed with all the seriousness they deserve because the consequences of a destabilized Chad to the sub-region cannot be imagined.
‘’The flow of refugees and displaced persons from the country, unrestrained flow of arms, drugs, and other harmful substances into Lake Chad and Sahel regions, which are already challenged by terrorists seeking to establish parallel systems, would further compound the security and stability of our areas and neighbouring countries.
‘’It is, therefore, our collective duty and in honour of the memory of the men and women that have died in search of peace in the region, to rise in unison as leaders of the region to ensure that peace, stability and security are not disrupted in Chad and in the entire region.
‘’These challenges, which are fueled by an interplay of poverty and the loss of sustainable means of livelihood due to climate change, have been further exacerbated by the direct consequence of the complete breakdown of law and order in Libya.
‘’The Libyan conflict has increased fragility in our region with debilitating security implications across the Lake Chad and the larger Sahel Region, typified by increased circulation of illicit arms and ammunition, narcotic substances as well as a refugee crisis that continues to threaten the security of the region,’ he said.
President Buhari, who declared the one-day summit open in his capacity as the Chair of leaders of LCBC member-countries, rallied development partners and countries, particularly France, the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, and Russia; the United Nations, the African Union, and the European Union, as well as other friendly and partner nations to support the transition framework put in place by Chad’s Transition Military Council.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK