General information
First Active Year: 1990
Current Name: MPS
Current Name full English: Patriotic Salvation Movement
Current Name full native language: Mouvement patriotique du salut
Original Name: MPS
Original Name full English: Patriotic Salvation Movement
Original Name full native language: Mouvement patriotique du salut
Actor Chronology
This section contains information about (if applicable) group splinters, name changes, and alliances according to the UCDP definitions of these concepts.
Joined Actor: Government of Chad (Government of Chad)
On: 1990-12-02
Conflict issues
Government of Chad - MPS
Conflict Goal Issues: Mouvement patriotique du salut, Patriotic Salvation Movement, (MPS) was a revolutionary Chadian rebel group under leadership of Idriss Déby, fighting to oust the government of Chad and President Hissène Habré. The stated goal of the group was the establishment of a just and democratic Chadian society free from tribalism, although MPS was largely characterized by its opposition to the government and its intentions to oust President Habré from power. MPS was established by Déby in 1990, during which it stated several conflict goal issues. The group called for the ousting of the government, its leader Habré and his cabinet, the National Assembly (the Chadian parliament), and the suspension of the Chadian constitution, all of which MPS accused of being “fictitious”, “inoperative”, and “deliquescent”. MPS also stated its intentions to establish a multi-party system in Chad, in contrast to Habré’s dictatorship, called for improved relations with Libya, who Chad had a territorial dispute with over the Azouzou Strip, and for national elections to be held within 7 months.
As the conflict progressed for its second, and final, year 1991, no issues pronounced in 1990 were explicitly reemphasized, although their actions showed that the issues relating to the ousting of the government were still important to the group. Instead, MPS accused the government of corruption, called for the protection of Chadian basic needs, and accused President Habré of establishing militias and controlling the police to fulfill his political objectives, which indicated the group’s intentions to restructure police forces and disband the para-military forces it accused Habré of creating.
Whilst no conflict goal issues were interpreted for both years of MPS’ existence, the issue of overthrowing the government and, especially, President Habré, was heavily emphasized and was largely the central issue behind the group’s establishment, which is why it is to be considered the group’s main issue.
Conflict Dynamics Issues: In 1990, MPS stated one conflict dynamics issue, calling for the continued presence of French troops deployed under Operation Épervier, which President Habré had become critical following French critique of Habré’s human rights abuses. In 1991, the group accused President Habré of carrying out political assassinations and torturing members of the opposition. None of these issues were stated in both years of MPS’ existence and neither was particularly emphasized, which is why no particular main conflict dynamics issue was interpreted for MPS.
Conflict Resolution Issues: The project coded no statements from MPS pertaining to conflict resolution issues.
Type of conflict issues: Conflict Goal Issues: Civil rights, Constitutional issues, Corruption, CPS: Democracy, Disband para-military forces, Foreign policy reform, Hold elections, Oust full executive, Oust head of the executive, Oust parliament, Restructure police forces
Conflict Dynamics Issues: Atrocities and abuses, IFI: Military intervention/foreign forces
Conflict Resolution Issues:
Annual information
This section contains annual information systematically collected by the UCDP.
1990
Actor Active in Dyad(s):
Government of Chad - MPS
Group Archive
This section contains annual information no longer systematically collected by the UCDP.
1990 Group Archive
Government of Chad - MPS
Comment on Name: Mouvement patriotique du Salut , Patriotic Salvation Movement,
Comment on Active: The Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS) was created in March 1990, seemingly by the Movement for the National Salvation of Chad (Mosanat) and the Revolutionary Forces of 1 April, which had created an alliance in the second half of 1989. On 2 December 1990 the MPS took control of NDjamena and thereby ousted the sitting government headed by President Hissène Habré.
Troop Size: 1500 - 5000
Comment on Troop Size: It was reported that the MPS had around 1500 - 5000 fighters in 1990
Secondary Support: Libya gave financial, logistical and military support to MPS in 1990. Around 40 % of the armaments used by the MPS was said to have come from Libya. In 1990 Sudan allowed the MPS to have military bases in the Darfur region in eastern Sudan and to conduct military attacks against Chad from Sudanese territory.
