There are clear signals the peace talk in Doha won’t be a mere talk show.
The interim government is not strong enough to withstand another gridlock which led to the exit of the former president.
Worst still, France won’t be in a position to further prop up any illegitimate government in Chad.
And more directly, the anti-government movement are daily becoming stronger amidst economic hardship that handicap the government from meeting the needs of the people.
The host Qatar also have history of successful peace brokering.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi said as the talks began in Doha with the participation of the Transitional Military Council representatives and armed groups in Chad.
The opening session was attended by HE al-Muraikhi, HE the Special Envoy of the Qatari Minister of Foreign Affairs for Combating Terrorism and Mediation in Settlement of Disputes Mutlaq bin Majid al-Qahtani, Prime Minister of the Transitional Government of Chad Albert Pahimi Padacké, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Libya Najla El Mangoush, Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat, and a number of senior ministers, officials, diplomats and representatives of international and regional organisations.
HE al-Muraikhi stressed that the peace negotiations that started in Doha yesterday are Chadian-Chadian negotiations led by Chadians, and Qatar – in its capacity as a facilitator and host – will do everything to make it a success.
“Qatar maintains friendly relations with Chad and hopes that the relations will continue and develop at various levels. We didn’t hesitate to accept the invitation to host these negotiations. With its peace-loving people, Qatar is a peace-loving country. We have no doubt that Chadians are also peace-loving people and, therefore, Qatar hopes for the success of negotiations,” HE al-Muraikhi said, adding that the hopes of many depend on these negotiations.
“The people of Chad have the right to enjoy peace, security, stability, development and prosperity. Therefore, every effort must be made to achieve these for this generation and future generations. In order to achieve this, national interest should be put above all interests while making consensus and reconciliation as a priority above all priorities and being wise and realistic,” he said and noted that Chad, like other developing countries, is facing major development challenges that require efforts to move forward on the path of progress and prosperity.
“There is no doubt that political and security stability is a prerequisite in view of the interrelationship between the factors of security, peace, development and human rights. This is considered an additional incentive towards making all possible efforts for the success of the peace negotiations,” HE al-Muraikhi said.
He welcomed the participants in the Chadian peace talks, and said it is Qatar’s pleasure to host the talks in Doha, as it has hosted many successful peace talks and negotiations that have contributed to achieving security, stability and regional and international peace.
HE al-Muraikhi hoped that the Chadian peace negotiations in Doha would succeed in converging the points of view of the Chadian people, reach fruitful consensus, and achieve the aspirations of millions of Chadians, adding that he looked forward to Qatar having an active role in the noble efforts leading to this end. (With inputs from QNA)
