In Chad, the presidential election that is meant to bring an end to three years of military rule began counting on Monday night.
But it escalated into an extraordinary confrontation between the junta’s leader, General Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, and his Prime Minister, Succès Masra, a former foe who became an ally.
A voter named Fougap Kayap Sougou commented on the atmosphere, saying, “I think that this year, in comparison to past elections, there is a desire for change that I’ve noticed in everyone.” A large number of people cast ballots today. There are lots of people in line for voting.”
There were ten contenders on the ballot, one of whom was a woman. In a nation of over 17 million people, there are more than 8 million registered voters. Chad stands as one of the world’s poorest nations.
However, some observers faced accreditation challenges, with no explanation given for the refusals, according to the Citizens’ Alliance for Elections, a monitoring platform, in a statement issued on Sunday.
