- Title: WEST GERMANY: CHAD AMBASSADOR RESIGNS TO LEAD OPPOSITION MOVEMENT IN EXILE.
- Date: 10th January 1974
- Summary: 1. GV Chad Embassy 0.08 2. Sign "Chad Embassy" 0.13 3. SV Ambassador Toura Gaba speaks 0.24 4. DITTO 2.16 "In Chad, under Tombalbaye, there is no freedom and democracy is unknown. The opposition dare not show itself for fear of torture and imprisonment without trial. The prisons are over-populated and Amnesty International try vainly to intervene in defence of the many political prisoners. Chad students in Europe live under the menace of blackmail and reprisals. They are threatened by the withdrawal of scholarships, withdrawal of citizenship; they are forbidden free speech and fear threats to their families back in Chad etc.. One could really believe that President Tombalbaye has lost his mind. Corruption and extortion are rife and the economy has crumbled. Encouraged by numerous Chad intellectual circles at home and abroad, I have decided to go into action and to lead a 'Movement of National Salvation Many people in Germany understand my position and have pledged their moral support. I thank them for that. I also thank those German people who show understanding and political maturity towards African problems." On Tuesday (8 January), Mr. Toura Gaba recorded a statement for Visnews in French. An English translation follows: Initials AE/16.40 JW/AW/BB/0009 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 25th January 1974 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BONN, WEST GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Reuters ID: LVA4BKFZXFTMISF80IQDT9HTVH1R
- Story Text: Mr. Jules-Pierre Toura Gaba, ambassador of Chad in Bonn, announced his resignation on 31 December because, he said, he could no longer support "the disastrous policy" of Chad's President N'Gartha Tombalbaye.
In a statement issued to the Press at the time, the ambassador -- who took up his appointment in 19666-- said his resignation from his posts as ambassador to Switzerland, Italy and West Germany would take effect from 1 January.
He then announced that he would settle in either France or Belgium in order to establish an "active political opposition party" against President Tombalbaye.
The Executive Council of Chad's only political party -- the Movement National Pour la Revolution Culturelle et Sociale -- met on 5 January under the chairmanship of President Tombalbaye to discuss the ambassador's actions. On the same day the Council issued a statement in which it referred to the ambassador's "surprising resignation" and taking note of his intention to settle in Europe "and carry out an active policy of opposition against the person of Chad's Head of State". But the Council went on to say that it would wait for further developments before making a definite statement on the matter.
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