Front for Change and Concord in Chad

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Front for Change and Concord in Chad
جبهة التغيير والوفاق في تشاد
Websitefact-tchad.com
Preceded by
UFDD

The Front for Change and Concord in Chad (

Mahamat Mahdi Ali in March 2016 in Tanua, in the north of Chad, with the goal of overthrowing the government of Chad.[3][4] It is a splinter group of the Union of Forces for Democracy and Development (UFDD).[3] Ali declared his preparation for military operations against President Idriss Déby
. The group was responsible for the death of Déby in April 2021, when he was killed while commanding troops on the frontline fighting the militants.

Origins

The group was founded by dissident Chadian army officers[5] who had split from the UFDD.[3] FACT was organized as a union of different rebel factions in March 2016, but it quickly suffered from internal disputes.[6] Dissidents split off and organized as the Military Command Council for the Salvation of the Republic (CCMSR).[6][7] In its current iteration, FACT emerged in April 2016.[3]

Military actions

Second Libyan Civil War

In the first years of its existence, FACT mostly operated as mercenaries for various Libyan factions.[5]

In December 2016,

New York Times stated that the weapons used for training of FACT by the Wagner group were supplied by the United Arab Emirates, who is alleged by the Pentagon to be funding the Wagner group.[10][11][12] The LNA tried to get FACT to join its forces, but FACT wanted to remain neutral; their staying neutral hurt their ability to secure roads against bandits and terrorists.[13]

From late 2017 to October 2018, FACT forces clashed with

ISIL. These clashes resulted in the death of at least three FACT militants and two jihadists.[13] At some point FACT signed a non-aggression pact with the LNA.[14]

Insurgency in Northern Chad

On the evening of 11 April 2021, the day of the Chadian presidential election, FACT attacked a Chadian border post in northern Chad just as polling stations were closing.[15] In return, they were attacked by government forces.[16]

On 17 April 2021, the British government said that two armed convoys from FACT were advancing towards the capital of N'Djamena. The Chadian army claimed they destroyed one FACT convoy in the province of Kanem while another was seen approaching the town of Mao.[15]

On 20 April 2021, President

military junta.[18]

On 9 May 2021, the Chief of the General Staff of the Chad National Army, Abakar Abdelkerim Daoud, announced the army's victory over FACT. Crowds in N'Djamena reportedly cheered on as soldiers returned from the front line in a column of tanks and armored vehicles.[19] At an army base in N'Djamena, dozens of captured FACT members were shown to the assembled press.[19]

References

  1. ^ "United Nations Official Document". www.un.org. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  2. ^ "Libya's Foreign Militias". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d "Front for Alternation and Concord in Chad (FACT) - Chad | Terrorist Groups | TRAC". www.trackingterrorism.org. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  4. ^ El-Gamaty, Guma. "Regional interference is threatening Libya's future as one state". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  5. ^ a b Emadeddin Badi (30 April 2021). "Déby's death: A microcosm of the flaws of French foreign policy in Libya". Atlantic Council. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  6. ^ a b Andrew McGregor (7 September 2017). "Rebel or Mercenary? A Profile of Chad's General Mahamat Mahdi Ali". Aberfoyle International Security. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  7. ^ "Libyan strongman bombed Chad rebels, his forces say". Arab News. 29 March 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  8. ^ a b Al Jazeera Staff. "Who are Chad's FACT rebels and what are their goals?". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  9. ^ الوسط, بوابة. "تنظيم "فاكت" التشادي يزعم أنه تعرض لقصف من الجيش الليبي". Alwasat News (in Arabic). Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  10. ^ "Where Did Chad Rebels Prepare for Their Own War? In Libya". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  11. ^ "Final report of the Panel of Experts on Libya established pursuant to Security Council resolution 1973 (2011)". United Nations Security Council. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  12. ^ "Pentagon Says UAE Possibly Funding Russia's Shadowy Mercenaries in Libya". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  13. ^ a b "Lost in Trans nation" (PDF). Small Arms Survey: 54–55. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 December 2018.
  14. ^ "Who are the rebels that killed Chadian president Deby?". Who are the rebels that killed Chadian president Deby?. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  15. ^ a b "U.S. embassy to withdraw staff as Chad rebels advance". Reuters. 18 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  16. AFP, AP. 18 April 2021. Archived
    from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  17. ^ Nako, Madjiasra; Ramadane, Mahamat (21 April 2021). "Chad in turmoil after Deby death as rebels, opposition challenge military". Reuters. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  18. ^ "Chad President Idriss Deby dies visiting front-line troops: Army". Al Jazeera. 20 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  19. ^
    VOA
    . 9 May 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.