Qatar in talks with France and UN over possible agreement in Chad talks

Source: QNA

The Gulf state has been hosting the preparatory Chad political talks since 13 March between all Chadian sides.

Qatar has held talks with the UN, France, and the African Union to ensure their support in monitoring a possible agreement between all Chadian sides, Radio France Internationale (RFI) reported on Sunday.

“The Qataris take the time for things to settle down, and they are right,” a participant told RFI.

The news outlet said that Qatar is also consulting the US over the potential agreement as they try to involve the Military Command Council for the Salvation of the Republic (CCSMR) in the talks.

France praises Qatar’s mediation in Chad talks

The Gulf state has been hosting the preparatory Chad political talks since 13 March between all Chadian sides in an effort to paving the way for long-promised free and transparent elections.

Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani had agreed to host the talks in Doha in an effort to support to all Chadian sides in reaching a political resolution.

The negotiations came after Qatar and Chad restored diplomatic ties in 2021. The latter had cut off relations with the Gulf state amidst the 2017 Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) crisis.

Chad had accused Qatar of seeking to destabilise the Central African country through its neighbour Libya. In turn, Doha said N’Djamena was taking part in a “political blackmail against the State of Qatar”.

The head of Chad’s Chad’s Transitional Military Council, Mahamat Idriss Deby previously stated that he aims to reach an inclusive agreement by all sides through the talks.

Deby had assumed power after his father and former President Idriss Deby, was killed amidst fighting between government and rebels from the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) on 20 April, 2021.

Rebel forces have been launching attacks to topple Deby since 1990 and the killing of Deby has led to rising tensions between conflicting sides.

After assuming his position, named a 40-member transitional government in May last year, that is scheduled to remain in office until the end of 2022. Deby also formed an interim parliament in September, the National Transitional Council (NTC), comprising of 93 members.

The dialogue in Doha compliment the efforts of Chad’s national reconciliation talks, scheduled to take place in May.

Last month, Chadian delegations in Doha have unanimously agreed to name Qatar as the mediator at the preliminary talks hosted by the Gulf state. By assuming the role of the mediator, Qatar will monitor the implementation of the final resolution of the talks.

Qatar’s Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Counterterrorism and Mediation in Conflict Resolution Dr Mutlaq bin Majed Al Qahtani, also said that the Gulf state submitted a proposal to all sides.

Beyond Chad, Qatar has long mediating between conflicting sides in different parts of the world.

Before the talks in Doha, the Gulf state had sponsored the signing of the “Doha Accord”, also known as the “Darfur agreement”, between Khartoum and N’Djamena in 2009.

A Doha-facilitated agreement, co-sponsored with Libya, was also signed amidst tensions between Sudan and Chad in 2008. At the time, Sudan and Chad exchanged accusations over supporting rebel attacks inside their territories.
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