Chad has criticized the United States for suggesting a lack of accountability for crimes committed during a violent protest in the country in October 2022, during which four demonstrators were killed outside the US Embassy in N’Djamena.
US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller stated on October 20 that there was no evidence of the Chadian government taking action to investigate or bring the perpetrators to justice, underscoring the necessity for “full investigations.”
Chad’s Ministry of Justice and Human Rights said the allegations were biased. “Beyond the statements from the State Department, Chad has no lessons to learn from the United States, which does not serve as a model in handling legal cases and respecting human rights,” Abakar Guiagoussou, the ministry’s spokesperson, said in a statement.
“The ministry would like to reaffirm that, in complete sovereignty and accordance with both national and international legislation, it has taken the initiative to shed light on these events in full transparency,” the statement said.
The statement also noted that Chad had already arrested, tried, and sentenced soldiers and civilians who participated in the “tragic” event and were subsequently pardoned by the president.