General information
First Active Year: 1997
Current Name: FARF
Current Name full English: Armed Forces of the Federal Republic
Current Name full native language: Forces armées pour la République fédérale
Original Name: FARF
Original Name full English: Armed Forces of the Federal Republic
Original Name full native language: Forces armées pour la République fédérale
Actor Chronology
This section contains information about (if applicable) group splinters, name changes, and alliances according to the UCDP definitions of these concepts.
UCDP has not recorded any Chronology Activities involving this group.
Conflict issues
Government of Chad - FARF
Conflict Goal Issues: Forces armées pour la République fédérale, Armed Forces of the Federal Republic (FARF) was an anti-government Chadian rebel group established in 1994. The group was mainly made up of people from the Kanembu ethnic group, in contrast to the Zakhava ethnic group which made up most of the sitting government under President Idriss Deby. The group emerged in 1994 but was coded as active in the UCDP only in 1997. During the year of its establishment, FARF’s leader Laokein Barde Frisson stated several conflict goal issues, calling for the establishment of security and rule of law in Chad, foreign policy reform through the withdrawal of Chad from the Organization of the Islamic Conference, now known as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the organization of a referendum to be held to determine the future for Chadian bilingualism.
None of these issues were explicitly reemphasized by FARF as the conflict emerged. However, in 1997, the group had formed into a federalist movement which indicated its intentions to federalize the Chadian state structure. As no issues were continuously stated throughout the conflict, no main conflict goal issue was interpreted for FARF.
Conflict Dynamics Issues: In 1994, FARF stated several issues, calling for the removal of Sudanese people from Chad under allegations of them having helped President Deby to power. The group also called for negotiations to be held under international supervision and for international oil companies to influence the Chadian government to establish law and order into the country, calling for foreign assistance with monitoring and influence.
These issues were not reemphasized as the conflict emerged, although in 1998 the group accused the Chadian military of having conducted massacres and atrocities against civilians: “The army never attacked us, it attacked the villagers.”
Conflict Resolution Issues: In 1994, the group stated its intentions to hold negotiations with the government on the condition that these were held under international supervision. This issue was not explicitly reemphasized, although FARF called for national dialogue to be implemented in 1996 which was to include “all the legalized opposition parties and civil society associations”, specifically excluding the sitting government. In 1997, the group also called upon the government to implement an agreed upon ceasefire.
Type of conflict issues: The coded conflict issues for this group are: Conflict Goal Issues: Federalism, Foreign policy reform, Referendum, Rule of law
Conflict Dynamics Issues: Atrocities and abuses, DFI: Removal of foreigners, IFI: Foreign mediator, IFI: Use of foreign influence
Conflict Resolution Issues: Call for negotiations, National dialogue, Peace agreement implementation, Structure of negotiations
Annual information
This section contains annual information systematically collected by the UCDP.
1997
Actor Active in Dyad(s):
FARF - Civilians
Government of Chad - FARF
1998
Actor Active in Dyad(s):
Government of Chad - FARF
Group Archive
This section contains annual information no longer systematically collected by the UCDP.
1997 Group Archive
FARF - Civilians
Comment on Name: Forces armées pour la République fédérale Armed Forces of the Federal Republic
Government of Chad - FARF
Comment on Name: Forces armées pour la République fédérale
Armed Forces of the Federal Republic
Troop Size: Missing
Secondary Support: The Armed Forces of the Federal Republic (FARF) was, however, supposedly based in the Central African Republic (CAR) and Cameroon. In 1997 it seems as if the CAR and Cameroon governments cut of FARFs access to their bases, whereby it cannot be said that these two countries actually supported the FARFs cause.
1998 Group Archive
Government of Chad - FARF
Comment on Name: Forces armées pour la République fédérale
Armed Forces of the Federal Republic
Troop Size: Missing
