In Abuja, at a summit of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari called for broad support for the Transitional Military Council in Chad.
For the first time in its history, the Lake Chad Basin Commission devoted a summit to the political and security situation in one of its member countries. Nigeria, the host country, welcomed Cameroon, Central African Republic, Libya, Niger and of course Chad. These 6 member countries were surrounded by Sudan and Algeria, which have not yet ratified their commitment. And among the observers, notably the African Union and ECOWAS.
There was no false note at this extraordinary summit in Abuja. All the presidents of the organization’s member states rallied around General Mahamat Idriss Déby, the president of the Transitional Military Council. If Paul Biya was represented for Cameroon, Mohammed Younes Menfi recently elected head of the Libyan presidential council was present.
Hosting the summit as current chairman of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, Muhammadu Buhari insisted “on the urgency of accompanying the transition underway in Chad for the balance of the Lake Chad region but also the Sahel. “The Nigerian head of state recalled that support for the Transitional Military Council must not exceed the 18 months planned for the life of this body. He also explained that the Chadian constitution must be respected as a guarantee of the country’s social contract.
It is worth noting that it was like a return to the time before Covid-19, since it was a non-virtual summit that President Muhammadu Buhari conducted on Tuesday in the plush lounges of one of Abuja’s largest hotels. Nevertheless, one of the few photos taken shows the six heads of state and government sitting in a circle at least one meter apart. And all were well masked.