By Jacques NGARASSAL SAHAM, CILONG, Forus member in Chad.

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Although Chad has a relatively low number of deaths at present, this number is on the rise.  The Chadian government and governments across the world put comprehensive measures in place to curb the spread of this disease, including restrictions on movement, night-time curfews, bans on gatherings, and impositions of social distancing requirements.  These measures have had a disastrous social and economic impact on all sectors of society, especially on civil society organisations (CSOs). CSOs have a long history in the core-functions relating to development, humanitarian aid, and mobilisation in Chad, usually under difficult circumstances. Without their involvement, no effective response could be found to the COVID-19 crisis. However, at a time where their input is more important than ever, they are also dealing with the devastating impact of the pandemic on their interventions and sustainability. This article is the first of its kind to exclusively analyse the impact of COVID-19 on Chadian CSOs and is based on a study carried out by the CILONG platform in 2020. Four objectives were identified for this survey: 

• Assess the negative impact of the pandemic on CSO funding and operational issues;  
• Understand how CSOs deal with and respond to these issues;  
• Highlight the involvement of Chadian CSOs in the national responses to this pandemic;  
• Identify opportunities that arise from this crisis and the lessons learned. 

This article provides a snapshot of COVID-19’s impact on Chadian CSOs and describes the various solutions that CSOs use to combat this crisis, whilst protecting their organisations and members. It also presents the opportunities that have arisen from the crisis and the main issues that must be addressed in order to support the recovery and sustainability of Chadian CSOs. 

This report is being completed in order to write an article on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the activities of civil society organisations in Chad. The aim of this article is to offer key information and present reliable data to donors, governments, the private sector and various partners on their involvement with Chadian CSOs during and after the pandemic. It is also a tool that makes it possible for CSOs to enhance solidarity and sustain mobilisation in order to maintain the recognition and support of its actors. 

Impact of the pandemic 

The most visible and dramatic impacts have been felt when it comes to the effects on financing and programmes. When Chad imposed lockdown measures to attempt to restrict peoples’ movements and curb transmission of the virus, CSOs encountered a number of operational difficulties. Several CSOs were subject to restrictions on the movement of staff and at least more than half of them recorded a reduction in the number of face-to-face interactions with the communities with whom they work. For this reason, partners have had to either reduce or cancel their programmes to a certain extent, while few have remarked on an increase in demand for the services they were offering.  

Infringements and Violations of Human Rights  

Following the decisions made and measures set out by the Government, the security forces were mobilised on the ground to ensure these rules were respected. In the majority of localities affected by the first cases, the administrative and military authorities have been responsible for violations of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, as well as other violations against the civil population, while enforcing the measures designed to combat the spread of Covid-19. 

Freedom of Expression and Access to Information 

It has been shown in judicial reviews that some citizens were threatened, intimidated and tracked for wanting to express their opinions on the way in which the crisis has been handled. 

Arbitrary Arrests and Fines, Illegal Detention and Security Service Scams 

As measures related to the curfew, the lockdown of cities and the wearing of masks have been implemented, arbitrary arrests and illegal detentions have been recorded. In certain provinces, farmers were prevented from going to their fields and were arbitrarily arrested and detained. Yet Article 22 of the Constitution states that “illegal and arbitrary arrests and detentions are forbidden.” Furthermore, 19 people were arrested in their homes before the legal time when curfew should come into effect, violating Article 45 of the Constitution which states that “private property is inviolable and sacrosanct.” In addition to illegal arrests and detentions, certain elements of the security and defence forces have imposed arbitrary and exorbitant fines on alleged infringers.  

This is what led to people being held hostage in the municipality of the 9th district of N’Djamena beside the Logone river, more precisely in Tougoudé. Security forces would begin their patrols at 17:00 instead of 19:00 and each person they found was forced to ‘fill the ranks’ (which means they were arrested so they could be brought to the brigade). Those arrested would only be released the next day following the payment of a fine that would vary according to identity of the supposed suspect and could reach up to 7,500 FCFA. 

© 2018 European Union (photo by Dominique Catton)