Since its independence in 1960, Chad has navigated cycles of armed conflict, dictatorship, political violence, contested transitions, and deep regional and social divisions. While several initiatives have sought to advance peace and national reconciliation, many grievances linked to past abuses, impunity, and exclusion remain unresolved. Following the death in 2021 of President Idriss Déby, who had ruled the country since 1990, Chad entered a transitional period in which government authorities and armed opposition groups engaged in talks, culminating in the 2022 Doha Peace Agreement and the Inclusive and Sovereign National Dialogue. Since then, the Médiature de la République—the country’s ombudsman office—has led ongoing national discussions on reconciliation and social cohesion. Together, these developments have created a rare opportunity for Chadians to confront the legacies of past human rights violations, prevent future violence, and forge a national strategy for peace and reconciliation.
Over the past several months, ICTJ has been assessing whether this opening could provide a viable entry point for transitional justice in the country. In early September, ICTJ undertook a two-week in-depth mission to assess the opportunities, challenges, risks for supporting transitional justice, reconciliation, and peacebuilding efforts in Chad. This mission built upon an earlier scoping mission that ICTJ conducted jointly with the African Union in June 2026.
Also in June, the Médiature de la République submitted its National Strategy for Reconciliation and Peace Consolidation (NSRPC) to the government for political endorsement following a rigorous validation process. Based on a series of consultations held in eight provinces, the strategy represents one of the most significant milestones in the country’s transitional justice journey. If adopted, it could pave the way for the establishment of a truth, reconciliation, and reparations commission and create an institutional framework for implementing key recommendations from the Doha peace process.
As in any country, such a commission and institutional framework must take into account Chad’s specific political, social, and cultural dynamics and incorporate international standards and best practices. They should draw on lessons from earlier efforts to address serious human rights violations, notably the prosecutions of former dictator Hissène Habré and other military officials, as well as the 1990–1992 commission of inquiry into the Habré regime’s crimes. Victims of these crimes have yet to receive full reparations, while, according to some human rights defenders, most of the convicted security agents and officials have been released from prison. Meanwhile, internal and cross-border conflicts continue to threaten the country’s stability.
During the September mission, ICTJ held consultations in the capital, N'Djamena, with key institutions working on peace, reconciliation, and social cohesion, including the Médiature de la République and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). These meetings not only informed the assessment, but helped the ICTJ team coordinate with relevant national and local authorities and facilitate consultations with diverse actors in the four regions it visited.
Rather than focusing exclusively on institutions in the capital, the ICTJ team sought to understand how local communities around the country perceive peace, justice, social cohesion, and reconciliation. To do so, ICTJ, with support from the ombudsman office and NHRC, organized consultations with some 120 local actors in the provincial cities of Bol, Abéché, and Moundou, as well as in N’Djamena. The participants represented a wide range of stakeholders, including civil society organizations, victims' associations, women's and youth groups, human rights defenders, and traditional and religious community leaders.
The discussions revealed a significant demand at the local level for a transitional justice process focused on peace and reconciliation after decades of violence and political instability. In all four regions, participants repeatedly emphasized the need to recognize victims, establish the truth about major events that have shaped Chad’s recent history, address historical injustices, and prevent the recurrence of abuses. While individual views differed on how these objectives should be pursued, there was broad consensus that reconciliation cannot be achieved without truth, accountability, and meaningful acknowledgment of those affected by past violence.
While Chadians wait for the government to adopt the NSRPC, they appear to be aware of the various opportunities and challenges such a process presents. Throughout the consultations, participants welcomed the prospect of a national peace and reconciliation process, while stressing that its credibility will depend on its inclusiveness, independence, and ability to respond to longstanding demands for truth, justice, acknowledgment, and reparations.
For Chad, the challenge is not simply to create new transitional justice institutions or adopt new strategies. It is to restore societal trust, ensure broad public participation, and nurture a shared political commitment, all of which are necessary to transform decades of injustice into a foundation for lasting peace. ICTJ is committed to work side by side with state institutions, civil society actors, and victims as they lead this transformation.
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PHOTO: The ICTJ team conducts a focus group at the cultural center in Bol, Lac Chad Province, on September 5, 2026. (ICTJ)
