Around 900 rebels affiliated with the Union of Forces for Democracy and Development in Chad (UFDD) have returned from their base in southern Libya, according to Chadian media reports on Thursday.
The move follows an agreement reached with the transitional President, Mohamed Deby. It is aimed at disarmament, in preparation for integrating them into the government to contribute to the country’s reconstruction. Many of these rebels had spent years abroad, after their defeat in attempting to overthrow the regime of Idriss Deby in 2008.
Mohamed Nouri, the leader of the UFDD, negotiated the agreement with Deby’s administration.
Crossing the Chadian border on 2 January, Nouri and his Vice-President Mahamat Assileck Halata, currently Minister of Urban Planning, travelled from Chad’s capital N’Djamena to welcome the group in the town of Faya-Largeau, in the far north of Chad.
Nouri expressed his hope that their return would “open a new chapter of peace and complete security in Chad, facilitating the rebuilding of the country in an atmosphere of unity and mutual understanding.”
After the peace agreement was signed in August 2022, Nouri and his group began securing positions in the country’s government.
The returning fighters will travel at least 600 kilometers before reaching the Musoro military training camp. As part of the agreement, their weapons will be stored and later distributed to security agencies, including the army, police, and immigration officials, and some will be directed to work in government offices.
Under the agreement with the state, even members of the group living in exile in Sudan, Niger, and the Central African Republic will return to Chad. Along with at least 400 other fighters who are currently en route, according to Halata.