Chadians protest total lockdown of nation’s capital over COVID-19 outbreak

Violent protests have broken out in the Chadian capital, N’Djamena, as residents trooped out on January 4, to register their displeasure over the total lockdown of the city imposed by a presidential decree following an outbreak of the new wave of COVID-19.

The lockdown which came into effect from January 1, 2021, came as a result of a new coronavirus scare with reports of a new strain of the virus.

According to African News, the country’s Minister of State, Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic, Kalzeube Payimi Deubet, reiterated the presidential decree on Sunday, January 3, when he insisted that the presidential decision for a complete lockdown must be respected.

The first group of citizens of the national capital to voice their opposition to the new measures were artists who declared that such an extreme measure should only have been taken after sensitizing the national community for a certain length of time.

Read also: Zulum meets Chadian president on evacuation of Nigerians back home

One of the leaders of the protests, Mahamat Bouye, who spoke during the rally, said:

“How can you stop the people from leaving their houses? The state does not have the means to force the population to respect this complete confinement,” adding that there wasn’t enough reflection before the decision was taken.

“To copy the example of others is good but one must know how to enforce it. That thing of the whites cannot work in a poor country like ours,” Bouye said.

According to Blaise Hibe, another resident of N’Djamena, “freedom is not a given and must be fought for.”

“If we continue to follow whatever government and its bosses say, we are going to die of hunger,” Hibe added.

“I call on the population of our national capital to wake up. The time has come, dear Chadians. Stand up for your rights. We the people of Chad are tired of government decisions, we must act now,” declared Adeline Soumta who said the people are tired of being dragged around like goats.

“We find it difficult to understand how this new strict lockdown can be enforced without exposing the majority of the dispossessed masses to starvation.

“Where is the committee charged with delivering the attestations permitting people to leave their houses?

“The government has to put in place a regulatory disposition or it stands the risk of facing a popular uprising.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now