Chad
Chad performs at low levels across all four categories in the Global State of Democracy’s framework, with scores in the bottom 25% of countries. Over the last five years (which included an unconstitutional change of government and a transitional election), Chad has experienced declines in all the factors of Representation and also in Judicial Independence. Although its economy was previously dependent on agriculture, the production of oil has grown since 2003 and today accounts for roughly 70 per cent of all exports and 15 per cent of the GDP. The country struggles with both a high poverty rate, and food insecurity – both of which have been affected by periods of extensive flooding and internal instability. Due to regional instability, Chad is also host to millions of refugees.
Chad was part of the Kanem-Bornu Empire until France imposed colonial rule between 1900 and 1960. France deployed soldiers to administer the Chadian colony, which was governed through violent force and stoked inter-communal divisions. The country’s post-independence history has been coloured by protracted conflict, including violent contests for political power, and enduring ethnic and religious tension between the animist and Christian south and the Muslim north. Political and insurrectionist dissent has been driven by the competition over oil revenues, corruption, ethnic politics, and state oppression – and has been continuously marked by shifting allegiances and familial and tribal relations within the political elite. The Déby family has ruled Chad for almost half of its post-independence history.
Instability is the foremost obstacle to democratization. Major insurgent groups reject a peace agreement forged between Chad’s government and 30 rebel and opposition groups. Additionally, unresolved inter-ethnic conflict, fuelled by former President Idriss Déby’s preferential treatment of his own Zaghawa ethnic group, continues to be a problem. Climate change-related natural disasters have worsened resource-driven intercommunal conflict. The proliferation of arms throughout Chad and its insecure borders, some of which are sites of violent conflict in other countries, contribute to local-level conflict. Furthermore, Boko Haram has established bases throughout the Lake Chad Basin area, resulting in clashes between Chadian forces and the insurgents.
Chad is among the world’s bottom 25 per cent of countries with regard to Gender Equality. It has among the world’s highest rates of child marriage, and female genital mutilation is a widespread practice. Gender inequality in Chad can be attributed to challenges unique to the Sahel region, including climate change, food insecurity, poverty, political instability, violent extremism, and conflict.
Despite representing a return to civilian rule after three years of military government, the violent and repressive chain of actions in the lead up to the recent presidential election suggest that both Representation and Participation should be monitored in the near-term; the 2024 electoral period was marked by political violence, including the fatal shooting of a key opposition candidate, and irregularities in the voting process. The constitutional referendum of late 2023, likewise offers little promise for progress – it has been frequently criticized for its lack of inclusiveness and failure to consider key concerns of the opposition. Consequently, the situation in post-elections Chad remains highly fragile, and further instability may have far-reaching impact across all core indicators of democratic performance. Beyond its internal dynamics, Chad is additionally vulnerable to conflict developments in its neighbouring countries. Therefore, the worsening of the Boko Haram conflict in Nigeria, clashes in Cameroon, and unrest in Sudan’s Darfur region may result in increased refugees, which could contribute to worsening intercommunal conflicts over limited resources.
Last updated: July 2024
https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/
May 2025
Chad detains opposition leader Succès Masra
On 16 May, Chadian authorities arrested the leader of the opposition Transformers (Les Transformateurs) party and former Prime Minister, Succès Masra, as part of an investigation into recent intercommunal violence between farming and herding communities in the southwest of the country. Prosecutors alleged that the violence was triggered by an audio recording of Masra urging farmers in the affected village to arm themselves and he was charged with incitement to hatred and revolt, complicity in murder and the desecration of graves. On 21 May, he was placed in pre-trial detention. Masra denies the charges against him, saying the recording is two years old and that in it he had simply called on the farmers to form self-defence groups. The opposition leader is a fierce critic of President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno and his lawyers and party allege the prosecution is politically motivated. His arrest followed a resumption of his opposition activities in the country’s capital, N'Djamena.
Sources: Reuters, International Crisis Group, Jeune Afrique (1), Jeune Afrique (2)
March 2025
Journalists detained over ‘collusion’ with Wagner
Three journalists in Chad were arrested and detained in March on charges of working with the Russian paramilitary group Wagner and reportedly face up to 30 years in prison. The prosecutor’s office said the three journalists, who work for different media outlets, had provided Russia with information about Chad that was likely to harm the country’s military and economic interests. News reports suggested that the arrest of one of the journalists, Olivier Mbaindinguim Monodji, may be connected to an article he wrote on the inauguration of a Russian cultural institute in Chad’s capital, N’Djamena, and that another, Mahamat Saleh Alhissein, has been accused of translating Russian files on the economic and security situation in the Sahel. The Union of Chadian Journalists (L'Union des Journalistes Tchadiens, UJT) and other rights organisations criticised the detentions as arbitrary.
Sources: Jeune Afrique, Agence France-Presse, International Federation of Journalists, The Africa Report
February 2025
Ruling party wins first senatorial elections
Chad held indirect Senatorial elections on 25 February, which were the first in its history and were won by President Mahamat Déby’s ruling party, the Patriotic Salvation Movement (Mouvement Patriotique du Salut, MPS). According to official results, MPS secured 43 of the 46 elected seats in the Senate, the remaining three seats were won by the National Rally of Chadian Democrats (Rassemblement national des démocrates Tchadiens - le Réveil, RNDT–Le Réveil) (two seats) and the Union for Renewal and Democracy (Union pour le renouveau et la démocratie, URD) (one seat), respectively. Several opposition parties boycotted the election, claiming that it would not be credible. The senators were elected by an electoral college of municipal and provincial counsellors. A further 23 senators were appointed by President Déby on 4 March, most of which came from MPS. Twenty five of the 69 senators (36.2 per cent) are women, in conformity with a gender quota target of 30 per cent. Chad’s new bicameral parliament was established by a 2020 constitutional reform and later confirmed by the 2023 constitution. The elections formally end the country’s transition to democracy that began after the 2021 unconstitutional change of government that first brought Déby to power. He was subsequently elected President in May 2024.
Sources: Radio France Internationale, Associated Press News, Agence Presse Africaine, International IDEA, Africa 24, Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa, Barron's
December 2024
Chad’s ruling party wins disputed legislative elections
On 29 December, Chad held legislative elections, continuing its democratic transition that began after the 2021 unconstitutional change of government that first brought to power the country’s recently elected President, Mahamat Déby. It was also Chad’s first legislative election since 2011. According to provisional results released by the elections agency (Agence nationale de gestion des élections, ANGE), Déby’s party, the Patriotic Salvation Movement (Mouvement Patriotique du Salut, MPS), won 124 of the 188 (66.0 per cent) seats in the National Assembly. The National Rally of Chadian Democrats (Rassemblement National des Démocrates Tchadiens - le Réveil, RNDT–Le Réveil) came second with 12 seats. Of the 1,329 candidates, 497 (37.4 per cent) were women (up from 145 in 2011). ANGE reported voter turnout to be 51.6 per cent (down from 56.6 per cent in 2011). The elections were boycotted by more than ten opposition parties, including the Transformers (Les Transformateurs). The election results were disputed by RNDT–Le Réveil and several other parties, who alleged fraud. Chadian election observers reported a range of irregularities, including ballot stuffing and multiple voting.
Sources: Agence nationale de gestion des élections, Radio France Internationale (1), International IDEA (1), Alwihda Info, Inter-Parliamentary Union, International IDEA (2), Radio France Internationale (2)
See all event reports for this country
Global ranking per category of democratic performance in 2024
Basic Information
Human Rights Treaties
State party
Signatory
No action
Performance by category over the last 6 months
Election factsheets
Global State of Democracy Indices
Hover over the trend lines to see the exact data points across the years
Factors of Democratic Performance Over Time
Use the slider below to see how democratic performance has changed over time
