Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Abéché (Agenzia Fides) - This is one of the most significant initiatives of Missionary Animation, in close collaboration with the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) sector of the Comboni missionaries in Chad. “Planet Earth, a common heritage” is the Forum addressed to young Chadians which will be held at the Abéché Youth Center from September 2 to 6, 2024.
The forum - say the Comboni Missionaries, promoters of the 3rd edition of the Forum - pursues a clear option: to offer a space for reflection, exchange of ideas and experiences intended for the world of youth. Like previous editions, this one too will be inspired and guided by the Laudato Sì of Pope Francis to promote the protection of the Common Home by paying attention to situations of marginalization in Chad.
The participants come from local communities, where strong awareness has mobilized young and old, Chadian Christians and Muslims, for a renewed commitment to serving the country. An initiative that goes far beyond religious barriers, the promoters want to emphasize.
The country also continues to experience tensions and, after the recent presidential elections, seeks a delicate balance between different demands, a new phase in continuity. As in the entire Sahel, it is today facing historic changes and will probably have to readjust some of its policies. In May, the Chadian Constitutional Council confirmed the results which gave Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno as the expected winner. It is also necessary to take into account internal ethnic divisions, confirmed by regional differences in the distribution of votes, especially in a country like Chad, marked by decades of war between the north and the south and with significant minorities linked to the activities armed groups in Libya, Sudan and Central Africa.
Since April 2021 at the head of the Transitional Military Council which runs the country following the death of his father, his predecessor, Idriss Déby Itno, killed while participating in an action by his troops against an armed rebel movement, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno was proclaimed winner with 61%, followed by the prime minister of the transitional government and main opponent Succès Masra at 18.5% and another former prime minister close to the Déby clan, Albert Pahimi Padacké, at 16.9%. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 22/7/2024)
