General information
Part of Conflict: Chad: Government
Date of first stated goals of incompatibility: 1994-12-31
Comment on date of first stated goal of incompatibility: In an interview (probably in December 1994) the leader of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic (FARF), Laokein Barde Frisson, stated five conditions for holding negotiations with the government: all petroleum companies wishing to exploit Chads oil resources had to put pressure on the government to introduce a true rule of law, all Sudanese citizens who had helped President Idriss Deby take power in 1990 had to return home, talks had to be held under international supervision, Chad had to withdraw from the Organisation of the Islamic Conference and the form of the state and the question of bilingualism had to be submitted to a referendum.
Date of first use of armed force: 1994-08-12
Comment on date of first use of armed force: On this date, there were clashes between government troops and fighters of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic (FARF) in Moundou on this date.
First Battle Related Death: 1994-08-12
Comment on First Battle Related Death: On this date, there were clashes between government troops and fighters of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic (FARF) in Moundou. 5 governmental soldiers and 4 rebels were killed.
Date when dyad reached 25 battle releated deaths: 1997-10-30
Comment on date when dyad reached 25 battle related deaths: In autumn 1997 there was intense fighting between government troops and FARF fighters in the Moundou region. By 30 October, 58 people had been killed in the fighting, both soldiers and FARF fighters.
Conflict issues
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.
1994
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 9 |
| Best | 9 |
| Low | 9 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Chad): n/a
Side B (FARF): n/a
1995
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Chad): n/a
Side B (FARF): n/a
1997
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 58 |
| Best | 58 |
| Low | 58 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Chad): n/a
Side B (FARF): n/a
1998
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 34 |
| Best | 34 |
| Low | 34 |
Secondary Warring Support:
Side A (Government of Chad): n/a
Side B (FARF): n/a
Peace agreements
Name of peace agreement: Donya agreement
Date when warring parties signed the agreement: 1998-05-07
Comment of peace agreement: Full peace agreement
On 7 May 1998 the Chadian government and the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic (FARF) signed a peace accord in Donya, Chad.
The agreement contained an immediate ceasefire, and an end to all military activity. An important issue was the Chadian army’s withdrawal from southern Chad. More specifically the crack elements of the Nomadic Guard and the Republican Guard were to withdraw. FARF fighters were to be integrated into the national army, and also into the civil service.
FARF was also to be transformed into a political party, and were granted a general amnesty.
A Truth and Justice Commission was also set up to investigate alleged human rights abuses by both sides.
Signatories: The accord was signed by special envoy Sakg Badradine, on behalf of the Chadian government, and the chief of general staff for the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic (FARF), Garbarome Jeramio.
Comment of signatories: Dyadic peace agreement
The peace agreement was signed in Donya, Chad on 7 May 1998.
Comment of Duration: In June, 300 former combatants arrived in the capital, N'Djamena to be disarmed and integrated into civil life or the army. In December it was reported that FARF announced their transformation into a legally recognised political party, to be called the Forum of Alliances for the Federal Republic (FARF).
Dyad Archive
This section contains annual information no longer systematically collected by the UCDP.
1994 Dyad Archive
Negotiations: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
1995 Dyad Archive
Negotiations: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
1997 Dyad Archive
Negotiations: NO
Comment on Negotiations: It is reported that talks between the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic (FARF) and the government were held between the start of the FARF-government violence in October 1997 until at least March 1998. However, since it has not been possible to find any information on the contents of the talks, it has not been possible to code them as such here.
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
1998 Dyad Archive
Negotiations: NO
Victory: NO
Terminated: YES
Type of termination: Peace Agreement
Date of termination: 1998-05-07
Comment on Termination: On 7 May 1998 the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic (FARF) signed a peace accord with the government of Chad. The signing of the agreement ended the hostilities between the parties.
