Overview of Human Rights in Chad

In the Republic of Chad, power has been in the hands of President Lt. Gen Idriss Deby since a rebellion in 1990. Though he was elected to the presidency in 2001, there were allegations of fraud and vote rigging. The government does not place a high priority on respecting the civil and human rights of all of its citizens, therefore, Chad’s human rights is one of the worst in the world.

The government limits the right of citizens to change their government in free and fair elections. The government limits freedoms of the press, assembly and association, religion, and movement arbitrarily. The judiciary has no independence from the executive branch and is also considered to be ineffective at best. There are known political detainees and politically motivated ‘disappearances’ also occur at the whim of those in power.

The security forces in Chad act with impunity. Arbitrary arrest, detention, torture, rape, and beatings by security forces have been noted and go unpunished. Illegal searches, wiretaps, and confiscations are authorized by the government. Extrajudicial killings are also common.

Child abuse, slavery, forced labor, and trafficking in persons are other human rights abuses committed in the region.

In 2005, the government, because of international pressure, took some steps toward addressing the failing human rights situation. It created a new ministerial post for human rights, and removed some 60 members of the security forces whom Human Rights Watch had identified as known perpetrators of some of the atrocities committed in Chad.

The ongoing situations in Sudan and the Central African Republic are creating growing insecurity along Chad’s borders. Refugees from both nations continue to flood into Chad seeking asylum. Chad is not adequately prepared to effectively deal with the addition drain on its resources. Violence in border areas is on the rise.

Human Development Index (HDI) Rank:

171st out of 177

Note: Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite index that measures the level of well-being of nations in the world. It uses factors such as poverty, literacy, life-expectancy, education, gross domestic product, and purchasing power parity to assess the average achievements in each nation. It has been used in the United Nation’s Human Development Report since 1993.