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114-548: The force was initially formed in June 2014, in response both to the anti-Islamist Operation Dignity being led by Khalifa Haftar , and also the defeat of Islamist candidates in the 2014 Council of Deputies election . Afraid of being sidelined and defeated, several Islamist brigades united under a shared umbrella. The consolidation and restructuring allowed the Islamist brigades to limit the success of Haftar's Operation Dignity, before allowing

228-642: A Transitional Council of military officers . That transitional council has replaced the Constitution with a new charter, granting Mahamat Déby the powers of the presidency and naming him head of the armed forces. On 23 May 2024, Mahamat Idriss Déby was sworn in as President of Chad . He had won the disputed 6 May election outright, with 61 per cent of the vote. Chad is a large landlocked country spanning north-central Africa . It covers an area of 1,284,000 square kilometres (496,000 sq mi), lying between latitudes 7° and 24°N , and 13° and 24°E , and

342-452: A competitive presidential election . He won a second term five years later. Oil exploitation began in Chad in 2003, bringing with it hopes that Chad would, at last, have some chances of peace and prosperity. Instead, internal dissent worsened, and a new civil war broke out. Déby unilaterally modified the constitution to remove the two-term limit on the presidency; this caused an uproar among

456-650: A "tyrant" and describing "his killings, kidnappings , destruction, and forced disappearances ." As a former commander and spokesman for the Operation, Mohammed Hijazi claims to have knowledge that Haftar is deliberately delaying the war, specifically in Benghazi. Hijazi concluded the recent interview by stating that his life is in great danger "especially as he is in possession of formal documents that could damage Dignity Operation forces and their leaders." On 4 April 2019, Haftar called on his military forces to advance on Tripoli,

570-450: A 2012 Pew Research survey, 48% of Muslim Chadians professed to be Sunni , 21% Shia , 4% Ahmadi and 23% non-denominational Muslim . Islam is expressed in diverse ways; for example, 55% of Muslim Chadians belong to Sufi orders . Its most common expression is the Tijaniyah , an order followed by the 35% of Chadian Muslims which incorporates some local African religious elements. In 2020,

684-689: A French military intervention ( Operation Épervier ). Hissène Habré was overthrown in turn in 1990 by his general Idriss Déby . With French support, a modernization of the Chad National Army was initiated in 1991. From 2003, the Darfur crisis in Sudan spilt over the border and destabilised the nation . Already poor, the nation and people struggled to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of Sudanese refugees who live in and around camps in eastern Chad. While many political parties participated in Chad's legislature,

798-685: A Wing Loong II drone, which were supplied by the Emirates and were operating from the UAE-controlled Al-Khadim air base. Haftar was the effective head of the de facto "Tobruk" system of government of much of the east and some of the south and west parts of Libya during the Second Libyan Civil War. The 2019 Libyan local elections were prevented from taking place on 27 April 2019, during his leadership, in Sabratha and Sorman . The head of

912-453: A combined air and ground assault against the pro-Islamic militias of Benghazi, as well as a sustained heavy weapons attack against the Libyan parliament. At the time of the Benghazi assault, Haftar, who had already been the target of assassination attempts, reportedly explained to a friend that he was fully aware of the personal safety risks involved in his actions. On 20 May 2014, four days after

1026-631: A deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades living in the U.S. in Langley, Virginia , and gained U.S. citizenship . In 1993, while living in the United States, he was convicted in absentia in Libya, of crimes against the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya , and sentenced to death. Haftar held a senior position in the forces that overthrew Gaddafi in 2011, during

1140-604: A drone strike on a factory that makes food products in Wadi al-Rabie, Libya , south of Tripoli , a Human Rights Watch investigation found. On 28 August 2020, a leading media site uncovered new evidence, which implicated the United Arab Emirates in a drone strike, where 26 unarmed cadets were hit and killed by a Chinese Blue Arrow 7 missile in January 2020 at a military academy in Libya's capital, Tripoli. The missiles were fired by

1254-553: A failed uprising against Gaddafi in the mountains of eastern Libya , before returning to the U.S. Haftar moved to suburban area outside Washington, D.C. , living in Falls Church, Virginia until 2007. He then moved to Vienna, Virginia . From there, and mostly through his close contacts within the DIA / CIA , he consistently supported several attempts to topple and assassinate Gaddafi. He spelled his name " Hifter " in legal documents in

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1368-484: A future political role through his military leadership. Similarly, while some have celebrated Haftar's role in unifying and successfully leading the fight against the Islamic State, several sources have claimed that Haftar's role in the fighting of ISIS has been largely overstated or motivated by self-serving calculus. For instance, as of early 2016 Haftar's forces were reported to have bombed an Islamist group known as

1482-436: A major agricultural activity that employed underage children. Chad's constitution provides for a strong executive branch headed by a president who dominates the political system. The president has the power to appoint the prime minister and the cabinet, and exercises considerable influence over appointments of judges, generals, provincial officials and heads of Chad's para-statal firms. In cases of grave and immediate threat,

1596-648: A mutually beneficial partnership in the administration of the areas controlled by Haftar's forces as well as in the military fight against their Islamist counterpart, especially against the Muslim Brotherhood and Ansar al-Sharia. Some of the Salafi groups allied with Haftar were part of the militias based in Barqa that have fought under his leadership and eventually spread in Benghazi, Jabal al-Akhdar, and Ajdabiya. As Ahmed Salah Ali emphasized in his June 2017 report published by

1710-549: A national society, but for most Chadians the local or regional society remains the most important influence outside the immediate family. Nevertheless, Chad's people may be classified according to the geographical region in which they live. In the south live sedentary people such as the Sara , the nation's main ethnic group, whose essential social unit is the lineage. In the Sahel, sedentary peoples live side by side with nomadic ones, such as

1824-558: A new general election. Haftar remains resolute that one of the aims of Operation Dignity is to completely dismantle the Libyan branch of the Muslim Brotherhood , as well as what he considers to be any other Islamist terrorist organizations within Libya. However, in recent years journalists and critics have observed that, in spite of his formal anti-Islamism mission, Haftar has continuously cooperated with Salafi organizations based in eastern Libya. His ties to these groups have produced

1938-479: A one-party system. Tombalbaye's autocratic rule and insensitive mismanagement exacerbated inter-ethnic tensions. In 1965, Muslims in the north, led by the National Liberation Front of Chad ( French : Front de libération nationale du Tchad , FRONILAT), began a civil war . Tombalbaye was overthrown and killed in 1975, but the insurgency continued. In 1979 the rebel factions led by Hissène Habré took

2052-430: A poor human rights record , with frequent abuses such as arbitrary imprisonment, extrajudicial killings, and limits on civil liberties by both security forces and armed militias. In the 7th millennium BC , ecological conditions in the northern half of Chadian territory favored human settlement, and its population increased considerably. Some of the most important African archaeological sites are found in Chad, mainly in

2166-519: A special three-year degree for foreign officers sent to study in the USSR, at the M. V. Frunze Military Academy . Haftar later pursued further military training in Egypt . He was also stationed with the artillery corps. As a young army officer, Haftar took part in the coup that brought Muammar Gaddafi to power in 1969, assisting Gaddafi in the overthrow of Libya's King Idris . Shortly thereafter, Haftar became

2280-481: A speech, "Never mind consideration of bringing a prisoner here. There is no prison here. The field is the field, end of the story". On 5 November 2017, a former commander in the ranks of Operation Dignity and its former spokesperson, Mohammed Hijazi, described Khalifa Haftar as being "the main cause of the crisis that is crippling the country." Having left Operation Dignity in January 2016 citing corrupt leadership, Hijazi has since spoken out against Haftar, calling him

2394-520: A televised announcement to reveal that the General National Congress (GNC), the elected parliament which had recently unilaterally extended its mandate, had been dissolved. Haftar called for a caretaker government to oversee new elections, and urged Libyans to revolt against the GNC, the mandate of which was still in force at the time. Ultimately, his appeal did not lead to a general uprising due to

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2508-505: A televised speech that his forces had finally taken full control of Benghazi, the second largest Libyan city. Haftar's military victory has been regarded by many as the expression of his growing military and political ambitions, and especially of his intention to secure military control over critical areas in eastern Libya. Some of his critics claimed that he deliberately dragged his militias through years of fighting against diverse groups which he framed as Islamist enemies in order to consolidate

2622-520: A third of the population were slaves. French colonial expansion led to the creation of the Territoire Militaire des Pays et Protectorats du Tchad in 1900. By 1920, France had secured full control of the colony and incorporated it as part of French Equatorial Africa . French rule in Chad was characterised by an absence of policies to unify the territory and sluggish modernisation compared to other French colonies. The French primarily viewed

2736-587: A top military officer for Gaddafi. He commanded Libyan troops supporting Egyptian troops entering Israeli-occupied Sinai in 1973 . Like other members of the Free Unionist Officers (the junta that toppled the monarchy), Haftar is a secularist and was a Nasserist . He was a member of the Revolutionary Command Council which governed Libya in the immediate aftermath of the coup. Haftar later became Gaddafi's military Chief of staff. In

2850-647: A united response from Chadians of a kind never seen before and forced the Libyan army off Chadian soil. Habré consolidated his dictatorship through a power system that relied on corruption and violence with thousands of people estimated to have been killed under his rule. The president favoured his own Toubou ethnic group and discriminated against his former allies, the Zaghawa . His general, Idriss Déby , overthrew him in 1990. Attempts to prosecute Habré led to his placement under house arrest in Senegal in 2005; in 2013, Habré

2964-480: A variety of ancestor and place-oriented religions whose expression is highly specific. Christianity arrived in Chad with the French and American missionaries; as with Chadian Islam, it syncretises aspects of pre-Christian religious beliefs. Muslims are largely concentrated in northern and eastern Chad, and animists and Christians live primarily in southern Chad and Guéra . Many Muslims also reside in southern Chad but

3078-453: A year, starting in March and October, and can hold special sessions when called by the prime minister. Deputies elect a National Assembly president every two years. The president must sign or reject newly passed laws within 15 days. The National Assembly must approve the prime minister's plan of government and may force the prime minister to resign through a majority vote of no confidence. However, if

3192-677: Is a Libyan politician, military officer, and the commander of the Tobruk -based Libyan National Army (LNA). In 2015, he was appointed commander of the Armed forces loyal to the elected legislative body, the Libyan House of Representatives . Haftar was born in Ajdabiya . He served in the Libyan Army under Muammar Gaddafi , and took part in the coup that brought Gaddafi to power in 1969. He participated in

3306-653: Is a member of the Firjan tribe. He studied at al-Huda School in Ajdabiya in 1957 and then moved to Derna to obtain his secondary education between 1961 and 1964. He joined the Benghazi Military University Academy (also known as Benghazi Royal Military College) on 16 September 1964 and graduated from there in 1966. In the late 1970s, he went on to receive military training in the Soviet Union , completing

3420-516: Is also in Libya. Belqasim Haftar serves as his father's top political advisor. Two other sons, Uqba Haftar, who works in real estate, and Al-Muntasir Haftar as well as his daughter Asma Haftar live in Virginia in the United States. Chad Chad , officially the Republic of Chad , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of North and Central Africa . It is bordered by Libya to

3534-521: Is also prohibited, but the practice is widespread and deeply rooted in tradition; 45% of Chadian women undergo the procedure, with the highest rates among Arabs , Hadjarai , and Ouaddaians (90% or more). Lower percentages were reported among the Sara (38%) and the Toubou (2%). Women lack equal opportunities in education and training, making it difficult for them to compete for the relatively few formal-sector jobs. Although property and inheritance laws based on

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3648-539: Is based on French civil law and Chadian customary law where the latter does not interfere with public order or constitutional guarantees of equality. Despite the constitution's guarantee of judicial independence, the president names most key judicial officials. The legal system's highest jurisdictions, the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Council , have become fully operational since 2000. The Supreme Court

3762-462: Is currently one of the leading partners in a West African coalition in the fight against Boko Haram and other Islamist militants. Chad's army announced the death of Déby on 20 April 2021, following an incursion in the northern region by the FACT group, during which the president was killed amid fighting on the front lines. Déby's son, General Mahamat Idriss Déby , has been named interim president by

3876-637: Is estimated to be about 450-500 million USD per month, if at least 5 million barrels per month are delivered. This sum was deemed sufficient to maintain his power base in the region. Haftar has at least six sons and a daughter. Captain Saddam Haftar and Captain Khalid Haftar are officers in the Libyan National Army heading two Madkhali brigades, including the 106th Brigade accused of abducting Seham Sergiwa in 2019. Another son, Al-Sadiq Haftar,

3990-557: Is made up of a chief justice, named by the president, and 15 councillors, appointed for life by the president and the National Assembly. The Constitutional Court is headed by nine judges elected to nine-year terms. It has the power to review legislation, treaties and international agreements prior to their adoption. The National Assembly makes legislation. The body consists of 155 members elected for four-year terms who meet three times per year. The Assembly holds regular sessions twice

4104-505: Is the twentieth-largest country in the world. Chad is, by size, slightly smaller than Peru and slightly larger than South Africa. Chad is bounded to the north by Libya , to the east by Sudan , to the west by Niger , Nigeria and Cameroon , and to the south by the Central African Republic . The country's capital is 1,060 kilometres (660 mi) from the nearest seaport, Douala , Cameroon. Because of this distance from

4218-411: Is worsened by the fact that the parks are understaffed and that a number of wardens have been murdered by poachers. Chad's national statistical agency projected the country's 2015 population between 13,630,252 and 13,679,203, with 13,670,084 as its medium projection; based on the medium projection, 3,212,470 people lived in urban areas and 10,457,614 people lived in rural areas. The country's population

4332-522: Is young: an estimated 47% is under 15. The birth rate is estimated at 42.35 births per 1,000 people, and the mortality rate at 16.69. The life expectancy is 52 years. The agency assessed the population as at mid 2017 at 15,775,400, of whom just over 1.5 million were in N'Djaména. Chad's population is unevenly distributed. Density is 0.1/km (0.26/sq mi) in the Saharan Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti Region but 52.4/km (136/sq mi) in

4446-569: The ARDA estimated the vast majority of Muslims Chadians to be Sunni belonging to the Sufi brotherhood Tijaniyah. A small minority of the country's Muslims (5–10%) hold more fundamentalist practices, which, in some cases, may be associated with Saudi-oriented Salafi movements . Religion in Chad Roman Catholics represent the largest Christian denomination in the country. Most Protestants, including

4560-623: The Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti Region ; some date to earlier than 2000 BC. For more than 2,000 years, the Chadian Basin has been inhabited by agricultural and sedentary people. The region became a crossroads of civilizations. The earliest of these was the legendary Sao , known from artifacts and oral histories. The Sao fell to the Kanem Empire , the first and longest-lasting of the empires that developed in Chad's Sahelian strip by

4674-514: The Ennedi Plateau represents one of the last colonies known in the Sahara today. In Chad forest cover is around 3% of the total land area, equivalent to 4,313,000 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, down from 6,730,000 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 4,293,000 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 19,800 hectares (ha). For the year 2015, 100% of the forest area

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4788-639: The First Libyan Civil War . In 2014, he was commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power. Haftar launched a campaign against the GNC and its Islamic fundamentalist allies. His campaign allowed elections to replace the GNC but then developed into the Second Libyan Civil War . In 2017, Ramzi al-Shaeri, Vice-president of the Derna city council and lawyers Ryan Goodman and Alex Whiting accused Haftar of

4902-516: The Food and Agriculture Organization to improve relations between farmers, agro-pastoralists and pastoralists in the Zakouma National Park (ZNP), Siniaka-Minia, and Aouk reserve in southeastern Chad to promote sustainable development. As part of the national conservation effort, more than 1.2 million trees have been replanted to check the advancement of the desert, which incidentally also helps

5016-773: The Government of National Accord (GNA). The GNA members are ambivalent about the BDB with some calling for it to be demarcated as a "terrorist organization". It certaining has links with the jihadist militias, and is apparently opposed to the Presidential Council of the GNA, while at the same time working under Mahdi Al-Barghathi , the Defence Minister of the GNA. Primarily the Benghazi Defence Brigades (BDB) were involved with

5130-964: The Kanuri word for "lake" ), is the remains of an immense lake that occupied 330,000 square kilometres (130,000 sq mi) of the Chad Basin 7,000 years ago. Although in the 21st century it covers only 17,806 square kilometres (6,875 sq mi), and its surface area is subject to heavy seasonal fluctuations, the lake is Africa's second largest wetland. Chad is home to six terrestrial ecoregions: East Sudanian savanna , Sahelian Acacia savanna , Lake Chad flooded savanna , East Saharan montane xeric woodlands , South Saharan steppe and woodlands , and Tibesti-Jebel Uweinat montane xeric woodlands . The region's tall grasses and extensive marshes make it favourable for birds, reptiles, and large mammals. Chad's major rivers—the Chari , Logone and their tributaries—flow through

5244-608: The Logone Occidental Region . In the capital, it is even higher. About half of the nation's population lives in the southern fifth of its territory, making this the most densely populated region. Urban life is concentrated in the capital, whose population is mostly engaged in commerce. The other major towns are Sarh , Moundou , Abéché and Doba , which are considerably smaller but growing rapidly in population and economic activity. Since 2003, 230,000 Sudanese refugees have fled to eastern Chad from war-ridden Darfur. With

5358-769: The National Assembly , power laid firmly in the hands of the Patriotic Salvation Movement during the presidency of Idriss Déby, whose rule was described as authoritarian . After President Déby was killed by FACT rebels in April 2021, the Transitional Military Council led by his son Mahamat Déby assumed control of the government and dissolved the Assembly. Chad remains plagued by political violence and recurrent attempted coups d'état . Chad ranks

5472-575: The Ouadi Doum airstrike . Shortly after this disastrous battle, Gaddafi disavowed Haftar and the other Libyan prisoners of war who were captured by Chad. One possible contributing factor to Gaddafi's repudiation of Haftar and of other captured prisoners of war may have been the fact that Gaddafi had earlier signed an agreement to withdraw all Libyan forces from Chad, and Haftar's operations inside of Chad had been in violation of this agreement. Another possible reason given for Gaddafi's abandonment of Haftar

5586-554: The Shura Council of Mujahideen in Derna who was behind the successful ouster of IS from Derna. Furthermore, experts have questioned whether the LNA could establish its control over the entire national territory, or whether Haftar would allow any military or elected political leader other than himself to guide a national army or government should that opportunity materialize in the future through

5700-475: The Tropic of Cancer . The Sahara gives way to a Sahelian belt in Chad's centre; precipitation there varies from 300 to 600 mm (11.8 to 23.6 in) per year. In the Sahel, a steppe of thorny bushes (mostly acacias ) gradually gives way to the south to East Sudanian savanna in Chad's Sudanese zone. Yearly rainfall in this belt is over 900 mm (35.4 in). Chad's animal and plant life correspond to

5814-459: The U.S. Department of Labor 's Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor in Chad reported that school attendance of children aged 5 to 14 was as low as 39%. This can also be related to the issue of child labor as the report also stated that 53% of children aged 5 to 14 were working, and that 30% of children aged 7 to 14 combined work and school. A more recent DOL report listed cattle herding as

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5928-536: The U.S. district court in Alexandria, Virginia was brought by families of victims in 2019; the plaintiffs contend that Haftar perpetrated war crimes, including the indiscriminate killing of civilians, during his military campaign backed by United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Russia. The suit is based on the Torture Victim Protection Act of 1991 . Judge Leonie Brinkema rejected Haftar's motion to dismiss

6042-560: The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Ghassan Salamé , described Haftar in April 2019 as "not a great democrat" ( ce n'est pas un grand démocrate ) and his methods of governance as "using an iron fist" ( il gouverne avec une main de fer ). During Haftar's Tobruk government, nine municipal councils out of 27 in total under the LNA's control were replaced by military administrators. The Government of National Accord in June 2019 captured weapon systems in Libya's rebel compound, which included Javelin anti-tank missiles made by

6156-409: The defense of Benghazi against both ISIS and the Libyan National Army (LNA), where they lost to the LNA. They were also involved in the 2016 offensive against ISIL 's stronghold in Sirte , and occupied Ben Jawad and Nufliya on behalf of the GNA, but they withdrew when the LNA advanced into those towns. The BDB were apparently responsible for shooting down a French helicopter that the GNA said

6270-477: The twentieth largest nation by area in the world. Chad has several regions: the Sahara desert in the north, an arid zone in the centre known as the Sahel and a more fertile Sudanian Savanna zone in the south. Lake Chad , after which the country is named, is the second-largest wetland in Africa. Chad's official languages are Arabic and French . It is home to over 200 different ethnic and linguistic groups . Islam (55.1%) and Christianity (41.1%) are

6384-453: The war crime of ordering the killing of prisoners of war during the recapture of Derna . Haftar has been described as "Libya's most potent warlord", having fought "with and against nearly every significant faction" in Libya's conflicts, as having a "reputation for unrivalled military experience" and as governing "with an iron fist". In November 2021, Haftar announced his candidacy for the presidential election in December 2021 before it

6498-429: The 172,600 Chadians displaced by the civil war in the east, this has generated increased tensions among the region's communities. Polygamy is common, with 39% of women living in such unions. This is sanctioned by law, which automatically permits polygamy unless spouses specify that this is unacceptable upon marriage. Although violence against women is prohibited, domestic violence is common. Female genital mutilation

6612-418: The 2nd lowest in the Human Development Index , with 0.394 in 2021 placed 190th, and a least developed country facing the effects of being one of the poorest and most corrupt countries in the world. Most of its inhabitants live in poverty as subsistence herders and farmers . Since 2003 crude oil has become the country's primary source of export earnings, superseding the traditional cotton industry. Chad has

6726-448: The Americans arranged for them to fly to Zaire instead. There, half of his soldiers decided to return to Libya. In late 1987, Haftar and a group of officers aligned themselves with the National Front for the Salvation of Libya (NFSL), a U.S. supported opposition group. On 21 June 1988, he declared the establishment of the military wing of the NFSL, called the Libyan National Army under his leadership. When U.S. financial aid to Zaire

6840-439: The Arabs, the country's second major ethnic group. The north is inhabited by nomads, mostly Toubous . Chad's official languages are Arabic and French , but over 100 languages are spoken. The Chadic branch of the Afroasiatic language family gets its name from Chad, and is represented by dozens of languages native to the country. Chad is also home to Central Sudanic , Maban , and several Niger-Congo languages. Due to

6954-444: The Atlantic Council, Haftar needs the Salafi support due to his lack of troops and resources on the ground, while his Salafi allies have greatly benefited from their control over religious discourse and their growing military strength in eastern Libya, which have led to an increase in their appeal to unemployed youth. In July 2017 a video posted online featured the execution of 20 suspected ISIS fighters by Haftar's forces, and this led

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7068-421: The Benghazi assault, the GNC announced that it had finally scheduled the long postponed national elections that were to replace the then-interim legislature (the Tripoli-based GNC) with the Tobruk -based House of Representatives. These elections were scheduled for 25 June 2014. Later in May, after having been ousted from office by the GNC, Ali Zeidan endorsed Operation Dignity, as did 40 members of parliament,

7182-545: The Christian presence in the north is minimal. The constitution provides for a secular state and guarantees religious freedom; different religious communities generally co-exist without problems. Chad is home to foreign missionaries representing both Christian and Islamic groups. Itinerant Muslim preachers, primarily from Sudan , Saudi Arabia , and Pakistan , also visit. Saudi Arabian funding generally supports social and educational projects and extensive mosque construction. Educators face considerable challenges due to

7296-434: The French code do not discriminate against women, local leaders adjudicate most inheritance cases in favour of men, according to traditional practice. The peoples of Chad carry significant ancestry from Eastern , Central , Western , and Northern Africa . Chad has more than 200 distinct ethnic groups, which create diverse social structures. The colonial administration and independent governments have attempted to impose

7410-439: The Guardian , Egypt's Sisi openly displays unequivocal support for Haftar bombarding Tripoli. He also receives private support by the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for the assault on Tripoli. In November 2016, Haftar made a second trip to Russia to meet with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu . It was reported that while he was seeking weapons and Russia's backing, Russia

7524-460: The Islamist groups to push back against the outnumbered forces allied to Haftar. On 14 July 2014, the council claimed it had taken over Barrack 319, which is one of the largest army barracks in eastern Libya. In late July, they took control of more than five other barracks in Benghazi, including the headquarters of the Al-Saiqa Special Forces unit . On 31 July 2014, the council claimed to have had taken over Benghazi. However it lost control of much of

7638-399: The Libyan contingent against Israel in the Yom Kippur War of 1973. In 1987, he was captured and became a prisoner of war during the war against Chad , which was seen as a major embarrassment for Gaddafi and represented a major blow to Gaddafi's ambitions in Chad. While being held prisoner, he and his fellow officers formed a group hoping to overthrow Gaddafi. He was released around 1990 in

7752-406: The National Assembly rejects the executive branch's programme twice in one year, the president may disband the Assembly and call for new legislative elections. In practice, the president exercises considerable influence over the National Assembly through his party, the Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS), which holds a large majority. Until the legalisation of opposition parties in 1992, Déby's MPS

7866-425: The Nigeria-based "Winners' Chapel", are affiliated with various evangelical Christian groups. Members of the Baháʼí and Jehovah's Witnesses religious communities also are present in the country. Both faiths were introduced after independence in 1960 and therefore are considered to be "new" religions in the country. A small proportion of the population continues to practice indigenous religions. Animism includes

7980-402: The US and labelled for the "armed forces of the United Arab Emirates" inside a wooden crate packaging. The four Javelin anti-tank missiles holding a value of more than $ 170,000 each, were found in a rebel base, reinforcing the army of Gen. Haftar. On 27 April 2020, Haftar made a televised address where he declared that the LNA would accept a popular mandate to govern Eastern Libya, making Haftar

8094-422: The United Nations to call for the LNA to investigate summary executions of prisoners. In general, in many areas under his control several sources have denounced the abuses perpetrated by his militias and the several repressive actions undertaken to limit civil liberties. As of August 2016, Haftar had refused to support the new United Nations Security Council endorsed Government of National Accord , which led

8208-632: The United States and allies to believe that he was jeopardizing the stability of Libya. Libya specialist and RUSI Senior Research Fellow Alison Pargeter pointed out that Haftar may plausibly be regarded as the "biggest single obstacle to peace in Libya" in that he allegedly fears that cooperating with the GNA may lead to the end of his influence in eastern Libya. The United Arab Emirates and Egypt continue to support Haftar. Middle East Eye has reported that British, French, U.S. and United Arab Emirates air forces have assisted Haftar's forces, after analyzing leaked air traffic control recordings. According to

8322-599: The United States. In 2011, he returned to Libya at the onset of the Libyan Crisis , to support the anti-Gaddafi forces in the First Libyan Civil War . In March, a military spokesperson announced that Haftar had been appointed commander of the military, but the National Transitional Council denied this. By April, Abdul Fatah Younis held the role of commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, Omar El-Hariri

8436-619: The capital of the internationally recognized government of Libya , in the 2019–20 Western Libya campaign This was met with reproach from United Nations Secretary General António Guterres and the United Nations Security Council . On 7 April, eastern Libyan forces launched an airstrike on the southern part of Tripoli, the Bab al-Azizia military compound. On 21 April, Haftar launched several airstrikes and explosions were launched over Tripoli. The GNA and eyewitnesses alleged about

8550-467: The capital, and all central authority in the country collapsed. Armed factions, many from the north's rebellion, contended for power. The disintegration of Chad caused the collapse of France's position in the country. Libya moved to fill the power vacuum and became involved in Chad's civil war . Libya's adventure ended in disaster in 1987; the French-supported president, Hissène Habré , evoked

8664-438: The city to the Libyan National Army in the following months. Mohammed Salalbi, senior leader of Libya Martyrs' Brigade , stated that the remaining SCBR fighters had retreated from Benghazi and arrived in Derna on 29 December 2017, after misleading the LNA to make their way out. Merhi al-Houti of LNA meanwhile denied that they had retreated, claiming that the army had blocked the road to areas controlled by them and had liberated

8778-496: The civil society and opposition parties. In 2006 Déby won a third mandate in elections that the opposition boycotted. Ethnic violence in eastern Chad has increased; the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has warned that a genocide like that in Darfur may yet occur in Chad. In 2006 and in 2008 rebel forces attempted to take the capital by force, but failed on both occasions. An agreement for

8892-513: The colony as an unimportant source of untrained labour and raw cotton; France introduced large-scale cotton production in 1929. The colonial administration in Chad was critically understaffed and had to rely on the dregs of the French civil service. Only the Sara of the south was governed effectively; French presence in the Islamic north and east was nominal. The educational system was affected by this neglect. After World War II , France granted Chad

9006-474: The country. Elephants , lions , buffalo , hippopotamuses , rhinoceroses , giraffes , antelopes , leopards , cheetahs , hyenas , and many species of snakes are found here, although most large carnivore populations have been drastically reduced since the early 20th century. Elephant poaching , particularly in the south of the country in areas such as Zakouma National Park , is a severe problem. The small group of surviving West African crocodiles in

9120-506: The country. After making these threats against Turkey , six Turkish civilians were kidnapped on a ship in Libya by the Libyan National Army on 1 July. The Turkish foreign ministry commented on the kidnappings saying "We expect our citizens to be released immediately. Otherwise, Haftar elements will become legitimate targets". The United Arab Emirates killed 8 civilians and wounded 27 on 18 November 2019. Emirates forces carried out

9234-503: The course of May and June, numerous pro–Operation Dignity marches were held throughout Libya, and in the 25 June parliamentary elections the secularists gained a clear mandate over and against the Islamist agenda. Meanwhile, despite its initial denouncement of Operation Dignity in May, Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thani 's administration subsequently refrained from further official endorsement or denouncement of Haftar's Operation Dignity. However,

9348-577: The de facto leader. Haftar's announcement raised the question of the outcome of the Libyan House of Representatives, who up until Haftar's announcement was the governing civilian government for areas controlled by the LNA. In early April 2021, the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT), which is based in Haftar's territories and has a nonaggression pact with him, launched a failed offensive to capture Chad. In

9462-417: The end of the 1st millennium AD. Two other states in the region, Sultanate of Bagirmi and Wadai Empire , emerged in the 16th and 17th centuries. The power of Kanem and its successors was based on control of the trans-Saharan trade routes that passed through the region. These states, at least tacitly Muslim , never extended their control to the southern grasslands except to raid for slaves. In Kanem, about

9576-491: The entire region from the "terrorist groups". He added that clashes had ended. As of August 2014, the council was composed of the following groups, among others: Formed in June 2016 to take control of Bengazi and protect the Shura Council from the Libyan National Army , the Benghazi Defence Brigades (BDB) included various Libya Dawn militias and was organized under the banner of Saddiq Al-Ghariyani . It pledged to support

9690-407: The heads of the navy and the air-force, and much of the army. On 4 June 2014, a suicide car bomber detonated his vehicle at Haftar's residence at Ghut al-Sultan near Abayar, east of Benghazi , killing four people and injuring at least three others. Haftar was not injured in the attack. In eastern Libya, Haftar's air and ground forces remained in place and seemed to be gaining general support. Over

9804-400: The important role played by itinerant Arab traders and settled merchants in local communities, Chadian Arabic has become a lingua franca . Chad is a religiously diverse country. Various estimates, including from Pew Research Center in 2010, found that 52–58% of the population was Muslim, while 39–44% were Christian, with 22% being Catholic and a further 17% being Protestant. According to

9918-647: The late 1980s, Haftar commanded Libyan forces during the Chadian–Libyan conflict , which ended in defeat for Libya. By 1986, Haftar had attained the rank of colonel, and was then the Chief officer in command of Gaddafi's military forces in Chad in the Chadian–Libyan conflict . During the war, in which the Libyan forces were either captured or driven back across the border, Haftar and 600–700 of his men were captured as prisoners of war , and incarcerated in 1987 after their defeat in

10032-529: The leadership of François Tombalbaye . Resentment towards his policies in the Muslim north culminated in the eruption of a long-lasting civil war in 1965. In 1979 the rebels conquered the capital and put an end to the South's hegemony. The rebel commanders then fought amongst themselves until Hissène Habré defeated his rivals. The Chadian–Libyan conflict erupted in 1978 by the Libyan invasion which stopped in 1987 with

10146-405: The local economy by way of financial return from acacia trees, which produce gum arabic , and also from fruit trees. Poaching is a serious problem in the country, particularly of elephants for the profitable ivory industry and a threat to lives of rangers even in the national parks such as Zakouma. Elephants are often massacred in herds in and around the parks by organized poaching. The problem

10260-542: The main religions practiced in Chad . Beginning in the 7th millennium BC, human populations moved into the Chadian basin in great numbers. By the end of the 1st millennium AD, a series of states and empires had risen and fallen in Chad's Sahelian strip, each focused on controlling the trans-Saharan trade routes that passed through the region. France conquered the territory by 1920 and incorporated it as part of French Equatorial Africa . In 1960, Chad obtained independence under

10374-472: The nation's dispersed population and a certain degree of reluctance on the part of parents to send their children to school. Although attendance is compulsory, only 68 percent of boys attend primary school, and more than half of the population is illiterate. Higher education is provided at the University of N'Djamena . At 33 percent, Chad has one of the lowest literacy rates of Sub-Saharan Africa . In 2013,

10488-451: The newly elected parliament branded Haftar's enemies "terrorists". On 24 November 2014 and the following day, warplanes affiliated with Operation Dignity forces attacked Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli, temporarily shutting down the airport, but also damaging nearby houses. In response to the attack on Mitiga, a court in Tripoli issued an arrest warrant for Khalifa Haftar. Haftar

10602-471: The north , Sudan to the east , the Central African Republic to the south , Cameroon to the southwest , Nigeria to the southwest (at Lake Chad ), and Niger to the west . Chad has a population of 16 million, of which 1.6 million live in the capital and largest city of N'Djamena . With a total area of around 1,300,000 km (500,000 sq mi), Chad is the fifth-largest country in Africa and

10716-635: The offensive, Chadian president Idris Déby was killed in action on the frontlines. On September 23, 2021, Haftar temporarily withdrew his post from the command of the LNA for a potential run in the 2021 Libyan general election , which was due to take place December 23. Under Libyan law, officials must suspend their current work three months before participating in the election. The election has since been indefinitely postponed. Three civil lawsuits have been filed against Haftar in U.S. federal court , including suits accusing him of war crimes, torture, and other human rights violations. A suit against Haftar in

10830-521: The president, in consultation with the National Assembly , may declare a state of emergency . The president is directly elected by popular vote for a five-year term; in 2005, constitutional term limits were removed, allowing a president to remain in power beyond the previous two-term limit. Most of Déby's key advisers are members of the Zaghawa ethnic group, although southern and opposition personalities are represented in government . Chad's legal system

10944-464: The restoration of harmony between Chad and Sudan, signed 15 January 2010, marked the end of a five-year war. The fix in relations led to the Chadian rebels from Sudan returning home, the opening of the border between the two countries after seven years of closure, and the deployment of a joint force to secure the border. In May 2013, security forces in Chad foiled a coup against President Idriss Déby that had been in preparation for several months. Chad

11058-435: The sea and the country's largely desert climate, Chad is sometimes referred to as the "Dead Heart of Africa". The dominant physical structure is a wide basin bounded to the north and east by the Ennedi Plateau and Tibesti Mountains , which include Emi Koussi , a dormant volcano that reaches 3,414 metres (11,201 ft) above sea level. Lake Chad , after which the country is named (and which in turn takes its name from

11172-548: The southern savannas from the southeast into Lake Chad. Each year a tropical weather system known as the intertropical front crosses Chad from south to north, bringing a wet season that lasts from May to October in the south, and from June to September in the Sahel. Variations in local rainfall create three major geographical zones. The Sahara lies in the country's northern third. Yearly precipitations throughout this belt are under 50 millimetres (2.0 in); only occasional spontaneous palm groves survive, all of them south of

11286-624: The status of overseas territory and its inhabitants the right to elect representatives to the National Assembly and a Chadian assembly . The largest political party was the Chadian Progressive Party ( French : Parti Progressiste Tchadien , PPT), based in the southern half of the colony. Chad was granted independence on 11 August 1960 with the PPT's leader, François Tombalbaye , an ethnic Sara , as its first president . Two years later, Tombalbaye banned opposition parties and established

11400-551: The substantial lack of resources and local support for his initiative. His announcement was soon dismissed with great skepticism by the then acting Prime Minister Ali Zeidan . Haftar's actions were condemned as a "coup attempt" and "ridiculous". Haftar's strategy was to embark on a series of "town hall" meetings around Libya and, with the support of fellow ex-officers from the military, to secretly build an army. Three months later on 16 May in Operation Dignity, Haftar began

11514-470: The suit in 2020. Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar has also been called a "Libyan oil magnate" by international press articles. The Libyan National Army under his leadership has controlled the oil terminals of Ras Lanuf and Es Sider since 2015. It is estimated that Haftar's forces had protected the production of Libyan crude oil, sometimes through forceful and illegal means, at a level of at least 1 million barrels per day. Accordingly, Haftar's personal income

11628-517: The three climatic zones. In the Saharan region, the only flora is the date-palm groves of the oasis. Palms and acacia trees grow in the Sahelian region. The southern, or Sudanic, zone consists of broad grasslands or prairies suitable for grazing. As of 2002, there were at least 134 species of mammals, 509 species of birds (354 species of residents and 155 migrants), and over 1,600 species of plants throughout

11742-464: The use of drones. They said that a plane circled around for over ten minutes, before finally opening fire. In May 2019, Amnesty International accused Haftar of participating in actions that amounted to war crimes during his battle for control of Tripoli . Following the huge military setbacks in June 2019, when his forces failed to seize Tripoli, Haftar ordered the LNA to target Turkish ships and companies, ban flights and arrest Turkish nationals in

11856-451: The weak UN/Western-backed government – as the only realistic bulwark against extremism in post-Gaddafi Libya." In 2017, Ramzi al-Shaeri, Vice-president of the Derna city council and lawyers Ryan Goodman and Alex Whiting accused Haftar of war crimes in the recapture of Derna . They alleged that Haftar had been complicit in calling for extrajudicial killings, arguing that Haftar had called on LNA fighters to take no prisoners, and saying in

11970-400: Was formally charged with war crimes committed during his rule. In May 2016, he was found guilty of human-rights abuses, including rape, sexual slavery, and ordering the killing of 40,000 people, and sentenced to life in prison. Déby attempted to reconcile the rebel groups and reintroduced multiparty politics. Chadians approved a new constitution by referendum , and in 1996, Déby easily won

12084-657: Was holding off pending the new Trump Administration . On 26 December, it was reported that Russia had thrown its weight behind Haftar, saying he must have a role in the leadership of Libya. Russia has since then treated wounded LNA soldiers, printed Libyan dinars for the Tobruk-based government, and signed exclusive agreements that will allow the Russian government to establish two additional military bases in eastern Libya. Global risk experts Giorgio Cafiero and Daniel Wagner recently observed that "Moscow appears to view Haftar – not

12198-578: Was not forthcoming, Zaire expelled the remainder to Kenya . Kenya only provided temporary residence, and the CIA negotiated a settlement around 1990, enabling Haftar and 300 of his soldiers to move to the United States under the U.S. refugee programme. In fact, the end of the Cold War diminished Libya's geo-strategic relevance and the CIA funding program to Haftar's brigade was suspended. In March 1996, Haftar took part in

12312-499: Was officially made commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) by the internationally recognized House of Representatives on 2 March 2015. The Libyan armed forces split up later in the year into the LNA under Haftar's control, which are often supported by Russia and Wagner , and the Libyan Army controlled by the Government of National Accord (GNA). After three years of military campaigns, in early July 2017 Haftar announced in

12426-467: Was postponed. Although Haftar is reportedly an anti-Islamist , his allies include the Salafi Madkhali militias for geopolitical purposes. Besides his native Arabic, Haftar also speaks English , Italian and Russian , and some French . He is a dual Libyan-US citizen. He is expected to renounce his US citizenship before the next Libyan election . Haftar was born in Ajdabiya , and

12540-548: Was reported to be under public ownership . Chad had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 6.18/10, ranking it 83rd globally out of 172 countries. Extensive deforestation has resulted in loss of trees such as acacias, baobab, dates and palm trees. This has also caused loss of natural habitat for wild animals; one of the main reasons for this is also hunting and livestock farming by increasing human settlements. Populations of animals like lions, leopards and rhino have fallen significantly. Efforts have been made by

12654-430: Was serving as Younis's Chief of Staff , and Haftar had assumed the third most senior position as the commander of ground forces with the rank of lieutenant-general . Younis was assassinated later that summer. On 17 November 2011, Haftar was chosen as the overall commander of the new Libyan Army due to his military experience and loyalty to the revolution that overthrew Gaddafi. In February 2014, Haftar appeared in

12768-561: Was the potential that Haftar might return to Libya as a hero and thus pose a threat to Gaddafi's rule itself. In 1986 and 1987 the Government of Chad accused Libya of using toxic gas and napalm against central government forces and against rebel forces. Libya may have used mustard gas delivered in bombs by An-26 aircraft in final phases of the war against Chad in September 1987. Gaddafi demanded Haftar's soldiers be returned to Libya, but

12882-402: Was the sole legal party in Chad. Since then, 78 registered political parties have become active. In 2005, opposition parties and human rights organisations supported the boycott of the constitutional referendum that allowed Déby to stand for re-election for a third term amid reports of widespread irregularities in voter registration and government censorship of independent media outlets during

12996-469: Was violating Libyan sovereignty. The French denied retaliating with airstrikes against the BDB. The BDB was headquartered at Al Jufra Air Base , along with other GNA forces, and were attacked there by the LNA in December 2016. Khalifa Haftar Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Omar Haftar ( Arabic : خليفة بالقاسم عمر حفتر , romanized :  Ḵalīfa Bilqāsim Ḥaftar ; born 7 November 1943)

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