Bichara Digui, a member of the Rally for Democracy and Progress, an opposition political party, was killed on 16 August 1996 by government agents; Amnesty International fears that he may have been targeted because of his peaceful political opposition (20 Aug. 1996, 1). According to Amnesty International, Ngarlérgy Yorongar le Moiban, leader of opposition party, the Action Front for the Republic-Federation, has been ill treated by the Chad security forces, apparently because of "his criticism of the current government" (1 Aug. 1996). The were also arbitrary arrests and executions of southerns and other opponents by the "Arab-dominated regime and army of the country's newly-elected head-of state Idriss Deby" (Africa Research Bulletin 28 Nov. 1996, 12440).

According to section 2.b of the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1996, oppositions political parties reported incidents of harassment by local officials during the elections campaign (30 January 1997). Please refer to Country Reports for 1996, which is available on SHARENet for specific incidents in which some persons were victims of politically motivated threats by government security forces.

For general information on the current human rights situation in Chad, please see attached articles.

Information on the treatment of family members and relatives of political opponents by the government could not be found among the sources consulted by the DIRB.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Africa Research Bulletin; Political, Social and Political Series [London]. 28 November 1996. Vol. 33, No 10. "Chad: Amnesty Condemnation."

Amnesty International. 20 August 1996. Urgent Action: Chad: Amnesty International Calls for an Independent and Impartial Investigation into the Murder of Bichara Digui. (AI Index: AFR20/10/96). London: Amnesty International.

_____. 1 August 1996. Urgent Action. Chad: Ngarlégy Yorongar le Moiban, Leader of Opposition Party, the front d'action pour la Républic-Fédération, Action Front for the Republic-Federation. (AI Index: AFR20/06/96). London: Amnesty International.

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1996. 30 January 1997. United States Department of State. Washington, DC. [Internet][Accessed 6 Feb. 1997]

Africa Research Bulletin; Political, Social and Political Series [London]. 28 November 1996. Vol. 33, No 10. "Chad: Amnesty Condemnation," p.12440-41.

Amnesty International. 10 October 1996. Chad: Blatant Arbitrary Actions Combined with Total Impunity. (AI Index: AFR20/13/96). London: Amnesty International.

Amnesty International. 20 August 1996. Urgent Action: Chad: Amnesty International Calls for an Independent and Impartial Investigation into the Murder of Bichara Digui. (AI Index: AFR20/10/96). London: Amnesty International, p. 1-2.

_____. 1 August 1996. Urgent Action. Chad: Ngarlégy Yorongar le Moiban, Leader of Opposition Party, the front d'action pour la Républic-Fédération, Action Front for the Republic-Federation. (AI Index: AFR20/06/96). London: Amnesty International, p. 1.

Libération [Paris]. 10 October 1996. No. 4787. "Tchad: Amnesty dénonce les silences de la France," p. 8.

West Africa [London]. 28-03 November 1996. No. 4122. "Chad: Human Rights Denounced," p. 1665.