Amnesty International says one year after fighting stopped between
government and opposition forces in N'Djamena, Chadian security forces
continue to commit human rights violations with impunity.
Amnesty International says security forces who carried out murder,
torture and enforced disappearance during the conflict have not been
brought to justice. The rights group is calling on the Chadian
government to investigate allegations of human rights abuses that it
says are continuing to occur in an environment of impunity.
"Serious
human rights violations perpetrated by Chadian security forces are
continuing now and those people responsible for these human rights
violations are not being held accountable. This means impunity is there
and members of Chadian security forces are enjoying impunity," says
Christian Mukosa, a human rights researcher with Amnesty International
based in N'Djamena.
Mukosa says the human rights situation has
grown worse since the February 2008 attack on N'Djamena when rebels
entered the city and clashed with government forces.
"People
there were killed, tortured, houses were demolished and till now those
people don't have any access to justice and the government of Chad is
doing nothing to assist the population who are a victim of human rights
violations committed by Chadian security forces," says Mukosa.
Mukosa is also concerned what he says are scores of people arrested by the security forces who have simply disappeared.
"We
are concerned that enforced disappearance is a method used by security
forces not only to spread fear among the population but also to
intimidate political opponents. This is really dangerous for democracy,
for the population of Chad and for journalists and human rights
defenders," says Mukosa.
Mukosa adds that a Chadian National
Commission of Inquiry set up by the government to investigate human
rights abuses during last February's conflict has not done anything.
And the government has not responded to recommendations from Amnesty
International to investigate the disappearance of opposition leaders.
"The
whereabouts of those people remain unknown and we have asked the
Chadian government to do all they can to bring to justice those among
Chadian security forces who could been responsible for those
abductions," said Mukosa.
In March of this year, a United
Nations mission with a new mandate to monitor and protect human rights
in Chad, will take over from a European-led military force. Mukosa
thinks the U.N. force could make a difference in helping the government
fight impunity if they are deployed in time.