Chad is the first of the coup-ridden Sahel states to move toward democracy. Well, inch toward democracy.
The current frontrunner is Gen. Mahamat Déby, who has been ruling in an interim capacity since his father, former President Idriss Déby, died while fighting rebels in 2021. The elder Déby led a coup in Chad in 1990 and ruled for three decades. His death opened the possibility of a new era in Chadian politics, with the younger Déby promising to hold elections – in which he wouldn’t run – within 18 months.
Three years later, those elections are finally here, and Déby is running after all, following a deadly crackdown on opponents in 2022 that sent many of his rivals into exile. Leading opposition figure Yaya Dillowas killed under murky circumstances in February. Voters told the BBC they had little confidence the election would be conducted fairly.
But don’t expect Washington or Paris to make too big a fuss over janky polls. Unlike the military regimes in Mali and Niger, which have kicked out Western powers, Chad has close relations with France and cooperates with the US military. Thethreat of extremist groups in the region means the great powers’ primary objective is keeping relations stable, though Déby has also been flirting with Moscow in recent months.
America’s new National Security Strategy confirms what Europeans have feared for months: Washington now sees a strong, unified European Union as a problem to be solved, not an ally to be supported.
In this episode of Tools and Weapons, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith sits down with Ed Policy, President and CEO of the Green Bay Packers, to discuss how purpose-driven leadership and innovation are shaping the future of one of the world’s most iconic sports franchises. Ed shares how technology and community-focused initiatives, from Titletown Tech to health and safety innovations on the field, are transforming not just the game of football, but the economy and culture of Green Bay itself. He explains how combining strategic vision with investment in local startups is keeping talent in the Midwest and creating opportunities that extend far beyond Lambeau Field.
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More than a week after Hondurans cast their ballots in a presidential election, the country is still stuck in a potentially-dangerous post-election fog.