Yaya Djillo Djerou the Chadian opponent of President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, died on February 28 at the headquarters of his party, after an assault launched by the army. Controversial man, Yaya Djillo Djerou is a close relative of Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno. His mother was the cousin of the late President Idriss Deby. Since Idriss Deby (father of the current Chadian President) took power in 1990, a strong opposition had developed between Yaya Djllo Djerou and him. In fact, the relations between the two men were marked by a distancing, even a tenacious hatred, so much so that Yaya Djillo took up arms to fight against Idriss Deby.
Helped by the twins Timan and Tom Erdimi, themselves nephews of Idriss Deby Sr., he created in 2005, the Base for Change, Unity and Democracy (SCUD), an armed group which made no secret of taking the place of Idriss Deby at the head of Chad. The former Chadian President calmed the situation, through multiple talks between armed rebellions, political opponents and civil society, talks which have continued to mark the history of Chad. At the end of one of these multiple agreements, Yaya Djillo agreed to lay down his arms. He was then appointed by Idriss Deby senior, Minister of Mines and subsequently advisor to the Presidency of the Republic.
This was without taking into account the cunning of Yaya Djillo, who considered these different functions as folding seats, the ultimate goal being the seizure of power. Yaya Djillo cultivates rivalry and finally leaves his official responsibilities as soon as the presidential elections of April 2021 are announced. He wants to be a candidate against his uncle Idriss Deby. Then begins a squabble between the two men, marked by public positions taken by Yaya Djillo, who criticizes Debby's management more and more openly. The latter does not let himself be fooled. He files a complaint for “defamation” against Yaya Djillo.
Death of Yaya Djillo's mother and son
The opponent refuses to attend any court summons. The Chadian armed forces, on Debby's orders, then organized a punitive raid on Yaya Djillo's home in N'djamena. Without warning, the soldiers fired from all sides. Djillo’s mother collapsed dead following this muscular intrusion. During this punitive operation, Yaya Djillo also lost one of his sons. But mysteriously disappears from the scene of the carnage.
We would later learn that he had been exfiltrated from this macabre site, by protection lurking in the shadows, within Deby's army itself. A Praetorian army made up mainly of “Zaghawa”, an ethnic group common to the Debby and Djillo brothers.
In the meantime, Idriss Debby died on April 19, 2021, during an armed operation against a rebel column of the Front for Alternation and Concord in Chad (FACT) which was fighting against the regime in the north of the country, and proposed to march on Ndjamena.
With Idriss Deby dead, senior army officers met almost immediately and set up a “Transition Council”. They place at the head of the said Council, Mahamat Itno Deby, son of the late President and commander of the Republican Guard.
From then on, Yaya Djillo challenges this President imposed by the military, and dubbed by Paris. Indeed, Emmanuel Macron attended in person on April 23, 2021 in N'jamena, the funeral of Idriss Deby. A few days later, the Chadian capital was covered by demonstrations. The demonstrators are calling for a coup d'état, since the Chadian Constitution provides that in the event of unavailability of the President of the Republic, the latter is replaced by the President of the National Assembly. However, in the present case, the Transitional Council had taken care to pronounce the dissolution of the government and the National Assembly. To remedy the situation, the Transitional Council, relying on its name, affirms that it will only be at the head of Chad for an interlude of 24 months. This Council, however, is careful not to mention any transfer of power to civilians. At the same time, an “inclusive national dialogue” is launched. Political parties, armed groups, as well as civil society, are invited to this forum.
Yaya Djillo Djerou proclaimed candidate in the presidential election
While the bodies responsible for implementing said elections are in progress, and the date of the elections is set for May 6, 2024. Yaya Djillo, the nephew who joined the opposition, declares himself a candidate... to challenge Mahamat Idriss Deby. He is accused of having carried out, on the night of Tuesday February 27 to Wednesday February 28, an attack against the premises of the intelligence services. He is also accused of "attempted assassination against the President of the Supreme Court". The opponent denies and believes that the power's accusations against him are "unfounded". He rather thinks that it is for the regime of Mahamat Idriss Deby, maneuvers to exclude him from the presidential elections scheduled for May 6, 2024.
On February 28, he was caught by the army at the headquarters of his political group called Parti Socialiste Sans Frontières (PSF) where he had taken refuge. The Internet is cut off in the city of N'jamena while calls to go to the PSF headquarters to defend Yaya Djillo pour in on social networks. Then soldiers were posted around the PSF headquarters, followed by detonations. The next day we learned of the death of Yaya Djillo in these clashes.
Two days after this deadly shooting, Mahamat Idriss Deby officially ran for the presidential election on May 6.
TKM
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