History of Chad facts for kids
Chad, officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a country in Central Africa that is landlocked. This means it is completely surrounded by land and has no coastline. Chad shares borders with Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west. Because it's far from the sea and has a mostly desert climate, Chad is sometimes called the "Dead Heart of Africa."
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Ancient Times
The land that is now Chad has some of the most important archaeological sites in Africa. Scientists found a very old human-like skull here. It was discovered by Michel Brunet and is over 7 million years old. This makes it the oldest human-like skull ever found! It's called Sahelanthropus tchadensis. In 1996, Michel Brunet also found a human-like jaw, which he named Australopithecus bahrelghazali, nicknamed "Abel." It lived about 3.6 million years ago.
Around 7,000 BC, the northern part of Chad was a fertile area. It was a good place for early humans to settle. Amazing Rock art from this time has been found in the Ennedi region. These carvings might be the oldest proof of early farming and tool-making in the Sahara desert. Many ancient pottery and farming activities in Ennedi are even older than those found along the Nile River.
In these ancient times, Chad was much wetter than it is today. We know this because rock paintings in the Tibesti and Borkou regions show large wild animals.
Era of Empires (AD 900–1900)
Around 900 AD, powerful states began to form in central Chad. This area is called the sahel, which is between the desert and the savanna. For nearly 1,000 years, these states and their relationships shaped Chad's history. It is now believed that Africans living in the region started these states. However, people who moved there, including Arabic-speaking groups, and the religion of Islam, also played a big part in their growth.
Most of these states started as kingdoms. The king was seen as a divine ruler with both worldly and spiritual powers. These states needed strong armies to survive. However, they couldn't expand much into southern Chad because of thick forests and the tsetse fly, which made it hard to use cavalry. The kingdoms became rich by controlling the trans-Saharan trade routes. Many states rose and fell, but the most important and long-lasting empires were Kanem–Bornu, Baguirmi, and Ouaddai.
Kanem–Bornu Empire
The Kanem Empire began in the 9th century AD, northeast of Lake Chad. Its first leaders were ancestors of the Kanembu people. By the late 11th century, the Sayfawa king, called a mai, Hummay, became a Muslim. In the next century, the Sayfawa rulers expanded south into Kanem, where their first capital, Njimi, was built. Kanem grew the most during the long rule of Mai Dunama Dabbalemi (around 1221–1259).
By the end of the 14th century, internal fights and attacks from outside weakened Kanem. Around 1396, invaders called the Bulala forced Mai Umar Idrismi to leave Njimi. The Kanembu people moved to Bornu, west of Lake Chad. Over time, the Kanembu and Bornu people mixed, creating a new group called the Kanuri. They also built a new capital, Ngazargamu.
Kanem–Bornu reached its peak under the great leader Mai Idris Aluma (around 1571–1603). Aluma was known for his military skills, government improvements, and strong Islamic faith. His reforms and military success kept the empire strong until the mid-17th century, when its power began to fade. By the early 1800s, Kanem–Bornu was clearly declining. In 1808, Fulani warriors conquered Ngazargamu. Bornu continued, but the Sayfawa dynasty ended in 1846, and the Empire itself fell in 1893.
Baguirmi and Ouaddai Kingdoms
The Kingdom of Baguirmi was located southeast of Kanem-Bornu. It was founded in the late 1400s or early 1500s. Its ruler, Abdullah IV (1568–98), adopted Islam. Baguirmi was sometimes under the control of Kanem–Bornu in the 17th and 18th centuries. Later, in the 19th century, it became a tributary to Ouaddai. In 1893, the Baguirmi sultan Abd ar Rahman Gwaranga gave his land to France, and it became a French protectorate.
The Ouaddai Kingdom, west of Kanem–Bornu, was started in the early 1500s. In the 1630s, Abd al Karim invaded and created an Islamic sultanate. Important rulers for the next three centuries included Muhammad Sabun, who controlled a new trade route and created a currency in the early 1800s. Another was Muhammad Sharif. His military campaigns in the mid-1800s stopped an attempt by Darfur to take over, conquered Baguirmi, and successfully resisted French colonization. However, Ouaddai lost its independence to France after a war from 1909 to 1912.
Colonialism (1900–1940)
The French first came to Chad in 1891. They took control through military expeditions, mostly against the Muslim kingdoms. A very important battle for Chad's colonization was fought on April 22, 1900, at Battle of Kousséri. French Major Amédée-François Lamy fought against the Sudanese warlord Rabih az-Zubayr. Both leaders died in this battle.
In 1905, Chad's administration was managed by a governor-general in Brazzaville, the capital of French Equatorial Africa (FEA). Chad did not become a separate colony until 1920. Then, it was placed under a lieutenant-governor based in Fort-Lamy (which is now N'Djamena).
Two main things defined Chad's time under French rule. First, there were no clear plans to unite the different parts of the territory. Second, modernization happened very slowly. For France, Chad was not a top priority. They mainly saw Chad as a source of raw cotton and unskilled workers for their more productive colonies to the south.
During the colonial period, large parts of Chad were never truly governed by the French. In the huge BET Prefecture, the few French military administrators usually left the people alone. In central Chad, French rule was only a little stronger. In truth, France only managed to govern the southern part of Chad effectively.
Becoming Independent (1940–1960)
During World War II, Chad was the first French colony to join the Allies. This happened on August 26, 1940, after France was defeated by Germany. Under Félix Éboué, who was France's first Black colonial governor, a military group led by Colonel Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque moved north. This group included soldiers from the Sara and fought Axis forces in Libya. Working with the British Army, they captured Kufra. On January 21, 1942, N'Djamena was bombed by a German aircraft.
After the war, local political parties started to form in Chad. The first was the Chadian Progressive Party (PPT), created in February 1947. It was first led by Gabriel Lisette, but from 1959, François Tombalbaye took over. The more traditional Chadian Democratic Union (UDT) was founded in November 1947. It represented French business interests and traditional leaders, mostly Muslim and Ouaddaïan nobles. The PPT and UDT had different ideas. The PPT represented the Christian and animist south, while the UDT represented the Islamic north.
The PPT won the May 1957 elections before independence. Lisette led the government until he lost a vote in February 1959. After a vote on self-rule in September 1958, French Equatorial Africa was dissolved. Its four states—Gabon, Congo (Brazzaville), the Central African Republic, and Chad—became self-governing members of the French Community in November 1958. After Lisette's fall, other leaders couldn't form a stable government. So, the PPT was asked to form a government again, led by François Tombalbaye, in March 1959. On July 12, 1960, France agreed to Chad becoming fully independent. On August 11, 1960, Chad became an independent country, and François Tombalbaye became its first president.
The Tombalbaye Era (1960–1975)
Quick facts for kids
First Republic of Chad
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| 1960–1975 | |||||||||
 Coat of arms
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Motto: "Unité, Travail, Progrès" ( French )
الاتحاد، العمل، التقدم ( Arab ) "Unity, Labour, Progress" |
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Anthem: La Tchadienne (French) (The Song of Chad)
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| Capital | N'Djamena | ||||||||
| Government | Unitary semi-presidential republic (1960-1962);Unitary one-party presidential republic under an authoritarian dictatorship (1962-1975) | ||||||||
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• 1960-1975
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François Tombalbaye | ||||||||
| Legislature | National Assembly | ||||||||
| Historical era | Decolonisation of Africa, Cold War | ||||||||
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• Independence of France
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11 August 1960 | ||||||||
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• Mangalmé riots begin in Guéra
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2 September 1965 | ||||||||
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• Chadian Civil War begins
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1 November 1965 | ||||||||
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• 1975 Chadian coup d'état
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13–15 April 1975 | ||||||||
| Currency | Central African CFA franc (XAF) | ||||||||
| ISO 3166 code | TD | ||||||||
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One of the most noticeable things about Tombalbaye's rule was his strict control and lack of trust in democracy. In January 1962, he banned all political parties except his own PPT. He quickly began to gather all power into his own hands. He treated anyone he saw as an opponent very harshly, filling prisons with thousands of political prisoners.
Even worse, he constantly treated the central and northern regions of Chad unfairly. People from the south were seen as arrogant and not good at their jobs. This anger finally exploded in a tax revolt on September 2, 1965, in the Guéra Prefecture. This event caused 500 deaths. The next year, the National Liberation Front of Chad (FROLINAT) was formed in Sudan. Its goal was to use military force to remove Tombalbaye and end the dominance of the south. This was the start of a bloody civil war.
Tombalbaye asked French troops for help. While they had some success, they couldn't completely stop the rebellion. A better move was his decision to break ties with the French and become friends with Libyan leader Gaddafi. This cut off the rebels' main source of supplies.
Even though he had some success against the rebels, Tombalbaye started acting more and more unfairly and violently. He lost support among the southern leaders who held all the important positions in the army, government, and ruling party. Because of this, on April 13, 1975, soldiers in N'Djamena killed Tombalbaye during a coup.
Military Rule (1975–1978)
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Second Republic of Chad
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| 1975–1982 | |||||||||
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Coat of arms
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Motto: "Unité, Travail, Progrès" ( French )
الاتحاد، العمل، التقدم ( Arab ) "Unity, Labour, Progress" |
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Anthem: La Tchadienne (French) (The Song of Chad)
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| Capital | N'Djamena | ||||||||
| Government | Unitary presidential republic under a military junta (1975-1979); under a transition government (1979-1982) | ||||||||
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• 1975-1979
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Félix Malloum | ||||||||
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• 1979
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Lol Mahamat Choua | ||||||||
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• 1979-1982
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Goukouni Oueddei | ||||||||
| Prime minister | |||||||||
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• 1978-1979
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Hissène Habré | ||||||||
| Legislature | National Assembly | ||||||||
| Historical era | Cold War | ||||||||
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• 1975 Chadian coup d'état
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13–15 April 1975 | ||||||||
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• Transitional Government of National Unity is formed
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23 March 1979 | ||||||||
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• Chadian Civil War comes to an end
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November 1979 | ||||||||
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• 1982 Chadian coup d'état
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7 June 1982 | ||||||||
| Currency | Central African CFA franc (XAF) | ||||||||
| ISO 3166 code | TD | ||||||||
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The coup d'état that ended Tombalbaye's government was very popular in N'Djamena. A southern General named Félix Malloum quickly became the leader of the new military government.
However, the new military leaders could not keep their popularity for long. Malloum struggled to deal with the FROLINAT rebels. He decided his only option was to work with some of the rebels. In 1978, he formed an alliance with rebel leader Hissène Habré, who became prime minister in the government.
Civil War (1979-1982)
Disagreements within the government led Prime Minister Habré to send his forces against Malloum's national army in the capital in February 1979. Malloum was removed from the presidency. However, the civil war that followed, involving 11 different groups, was so widespread that the central government lost most of its power. At this point, other African governments decided to step in.
Several international meetings were held, first led by Nigeria and then by the Organization of African Unity (OAU). They tried to bring the Chadian groups together. At the fourth meeting in Lagos, Nigeria, in August 1979, the Lagos Accord was signed. This agreement created a temporary government until national elections could be held. In November 1979, the Transitional Government of National Unity (GUNT) was formed. It was meant to govern for 18 months. Goukouni Oueddei, a leader from the north, was named president. Colonel Kamougué, from the south, became Vice President. Habré was made Minister of Defense. This alliance was weak. In January 1980, fighting broke out again between Goukouni's and Habré's forces. With help from Libya, Goukouni regained control of the capital and other cities by the end of the year. However, in January 1981, Goukouni announced that Chad and Libya had agreed to work towards full unity. This caused strong international pressure, and Goukouni then called for all foreign forces to leave.
The Habré Era (1982–1990)
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Third Republic of Chad
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| 1982–2018 | |||||||||
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Coat of arms
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Motto: "Unité, Travail, Progrès" ( French )
الاتحاد، العمل، التقدم ( Arab ) "Unity, Labour, Progress" |
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Anthem: La Tchadienne (French) (The Song of Chad)
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| Capital | N'Djamena | ||||||||
| Government | Unitary presidential republic under an authoritarian military dictatorship of one-party (1982-1992); under a dominant party state (1992-2018) | ||||||||
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• 1982-1990
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Hissène Habré | ||||||||
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• 1990-2016
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Idriss Déby | ||||||||
| Prime minister | |||||||||
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• 1982
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Djidingar Dono Ngardoum (first) | ||||||||
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• 2016-2018
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Albert Pahimi Padacké (last) | ||||||||
| Legislature | National Assembly | ||||||||
| Historical era | Cold War, post-Cold War, 2000s, 2010s | ||||||||
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• 1982 Chadian coup d'état
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7 June 1982 | ||||||||
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• Toyota War
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16 December 1986-11 September 1987 | ||||||||
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• 1990 Chadian coup d'état
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3 December 1990 | ||||||||
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• 1996 Chadian presidential election
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2 June-3 July 1996 | ||||||||
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• Chadian Civil War restart
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18 December 2005 | ||||||||
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• Establishment of Constitution of Fourth Republic
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4 May 2018 | ||||||||
| Currency | Central African CFA franc (XAF) | ||||||||
| ISO 3166 code | TD | ||||||||
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Libya partly pulled back from the Aozou Strip in northern Chad. This allowed Habré's forces to enter N’Djamena in June. French troops and an OAU peacekeeping force stayed neutral during the conflict.
Habré still faced armed groups. He was very harsh in dealing with suspected opponents. Many people were killed and tortured during his rule. In the summer of 1983, GUNT forces, with strong Libyan support, attacked government positions in northern and eastern Chad. France and Zaire sent troops to defend Habré. They pushed Libyan and rebel forces north of the 16th parallel. In September 1984, France and Libya agreed to withdraw their forces from Chad. By the end of the year, all French and Zairian troops had left. However, Libya did not keep its promise and continued to occupy the northern third of Chad.
Rebel groups in southern Chad were broken up by government attacks in 1984. In 1985, Habré briefly made peace with some of his opponents. These included the Democratic Front of Chad (FDT). Goukouni also started to support Habré. With Goukouni's help, Habré successfully removed Libyan forces from most of Chad. A ceasefire between Chad and Libya lasted from 1987 to 1988. After several years of talks, the International Court of Justice decided in 1994 that Chad owned the Aouzou strip. This officially ended Libya's occupation.
The Idriss Déby Era (1990–2021)
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Third Republic of Chad
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| 1990–2018 | |||||||||
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Coat of arms
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Motto: "Unité, Travail, Progrès" ( French )
الاتحاد، العمل، التقدم ( Arab ) "Unity, Labour, Progress" |
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Anthem: La Tchadienne (French) (The Song of Chad)
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| Capital | N'Djamena | ||||||||
| Government | Unitary presidential republic under a one-party state (1990-1992); under a dominant party state (1992-2018) | ||||||||
| President | |||||||||
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• 1990-2016
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Idriss Déby | ||||||||
| Prime minister | |||||||||
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• 1991-1992
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Jean Alingué Bawoyeu (first) | ||||||||
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• 2016-2018
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Albert Pahimi Padacké (last) | ||||||||
| Legislature | National Assembly | ||||||||
| Historical era | Cold War, post-Cold War, 2000s, 2010s | ||||||||
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• 1990 Chadian coup d'état
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3 December 1990 | ||||||||
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• 1996 Chadian presidential election
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2 June-3 July 1996 | ||||||||
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• Chadian Civil War restart
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18 December 2005 | ||||||||
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• Establishment of Constitution of Fourth Republic
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4 May 2018 | ||||||||
| Currency | Central African CFA franc (XAF) | ||||||||
| ISO 3166 code | TD | ||||||||
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Idriss Déby Comes to Power
Rivalries between different groups within the government grew in the late 1980s. In April 1989, Idriss Déby, one of Habré's top generals, left the country. He fled to Darfur in Sudan. From there, he launched attacks on Habré with support from his group. In December 1990, with help from Libya, Déby's forces successfully marched into N’Djamena. French troops in Chad did not stop them. After 3 months of temporary government, Déby's Patriotic Salvation Movement (MPS) approved a national plan on February 28, 1991. Déby became president.
Over the next two years, Déby faced at least two attempts to overthrow him. Government forces fought violently with rebel groups. These groups included the Movement for Democracy and Development (MDD) and others. The fighting happened near Lake Chad and in southern parts of the country. France had asked Chad to hold a National Conference. This led to 750 representatives from political parties, the government, and the army meeting. They discussed creating a democratic system.
However, unrest continued, partly because many civilians were killed in southern Chad. Some southern groups signed a peace agreement with government forces in 1994, but it later broke down. New groups also fought with government forces from 1994 to 1995.
Multiparty Elections and Oil
Talks with political opponents in early 1996 did not go well. But Déby announced that presidential elections would be held in June. Déby won Chad's first multi-party presidential elections. He got support in the second round from an opposition leader. Déby's MPS party won 63 out of 125 seats in the January 1997 legislative elections. International observers noted many serious problems in how the elections were run.
By mid-1997, the government signed peace deals with some rebel leaders. They also managed to cut off these groups from their bases in the Central African Republic and Cameroon. Agreements were also made with other rebels in October 1997. However, peace did not last long. Rebels clashed with government soldiers, finally surrendering in May 1998. Hundreds of people, mostly civilians, died in the fighting.
Since October 1998, rebels have fought with government troops in the Tibesti region. This has resulted in many deaths, but little change in control of the land. No other major armed opposition has appeared in other parts of Chad.
In the mid-1990s, Déby slowly brought back basic government functions. He also made agreements with the World Bank and IMF to make big economic changes. Oil drilling in the southern Doba region began in June 2000. The World Bank approved funding for a small part of a project. This project aimed to transport Chad's oil through a 1000-km pipeline to the Gulf of Guinea. The project had special ways to make sure that future oil money would help local people and reduce poverty. However, these "unique" ways of monitoring and managing money faced strong criticism from the start. Chad received debt relief in May 2001.
Déby won the May 2001 presidential elections with 63% of the vote in the first round. The legislative elections were delayed until spring 2002. After the election results were announced, six opposition leaders were arrested. One opposition activist was killed. Despite claims of government corruption and unfair treatment, calls for strikes and protests against the government were not successful. Even with moves towards democracy, power remained with a small group from the northern ethnic groups.
In 2003, Chad began to receive refugees from the Darfur region of western Sudan. More than 200,000 refugees fled fighting between rebel groups and government-supported militias. Several border incidents led to the Chadian-Sudanese War.
Oil Production and Military Growth
Chad started producing oil in 2003. To avoid problems like corruption, the World Bank helped create detailed plans. This plan aimed to make sure payments were clear. It also said that 80% of the money from oil exports would be spent on five key development areas. Education and healthcare were the two most important. However, money started going to the military even before the civil war began. In 2006, when the civil war grew, Chad changed its economic plans. It added "national security" as a top development area. Money from this area was used to improve the military. During the civil war, over 600 million dollars were spent on fighter jets, attack helicopters, and armored personnel carriers.
Chad earned between 10 and 11 billion dollars from oil production. An estimated 4 billion dollars were invested in the army.
War in the East
The war began on December 23, 2005. Chad's government declared a state of war with Sudan. It called on citizens to fight against the "common enemy." Chad's government saw this enemy as the Rally for Democracy and Liberty (RDL) militants. These were Chadian rebels backed by the Sudanese government and Sudanese militias. Militants attacked villages and towns in eastern Chad. They stole cattle, killed people, and burned houses. Over 200,000 refugees from Darfur in Sudan sought safety in eastern Chad. Chadian president Idriss Déby accused Sudanese President Omar Hasan Ahmad al-Bashir of trying to "destabilize our country."
An attack on the Chadian town of Adre, near the Sudanese border, killed many rebels. The Sudanese government was blamed for this attack, but Sudan denied any involvement. This attack led to Chad's declaration of war.
An attack on N'Djamena was stopped on April 13, 2006, in the Battle of N'Djamena. The President said on national radio that the situation was under control. However, people in the city heard gunshots.
On November 25, 2006, rebels captured Abeche, a town in eastern Chad. It is the capital of the Ouaddaï Region and a center for aid to Darfur. On the same day, another rebel group captured Biltine. On November 26, 2006, the Chadian government claimed to have retaken both towns. However, rebels still said they controlled Biltine. Government buildings and aid offices in Abeche were looted. Chad's government denied a warning from the French Embassy. The warning said rebels were moving through central Chad. Chad insisted that both rebel groups were supported by the Sudanese government.
Rebel Attack on N'Djamena
On February 1, 2008, rebels attacked Chad's capital, Ndjamena. This rebel group included leaders Mahamat Nouri and Timane Erdimi. They even surrounded the Presidential Palace. But Idriss Déby and government troops fought back. French forces flew in ammunition for the Chadian government troops. However, they did not actively join the fighting. The UN reported that up to 20,000 people left the region. They found safety in nearby Cameroon and Nigeria. Hundreds of people were killed, mostly civilians. The rebels accused Déby of corruption and stealing oil money. Many Chadians might agree with this. However, the uprising seemed to be a power struggle among the leaders who had long controlled Chad. The French government believed the rebels had regrouped east of the capital. Déby blamed Sudan for the unrest in Chad.
Chad's Role in Regional Conflicts
During Déby's time as president, Chad helped in conflicts in Mali, the Central African Republic, Niger, and Nigeria.
In 2013, Chad sent 2,000 soldiers to help France in Operation Serval during the Mali War. Later that year, Chad sent 850 troops to the Central African Republic. They helped with a peacekeeping mission called MISCA. These troops left in April 2014 after accusations of human rights violations.
During the Boko Haram insurgency, Chad sent troops several times. They helped fight against Boko Haram in Niger and Nigeria.
In August 2018, rebel fighters attacked government forces in northern Chad. Chad faced threats from extremists fleeing the conflict in Libya. Chad had been an ally of Western countries in the fight against Islamist militants in West Africa.
In January 2019, after 47 years, Chad and Israel restored diplomatic relations. This was announced during a visit to N’Djamena by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mahamat Déby Era (2021–Present)
In April 2021, Chad's army announced that President Idriss Déby had died. He was injured during clashes with rebels in the north of the country. Idriss Déby had ruled Chad for over 30 years, since 1990. It was also announced that a military council would govern for the next 18 months. This council is led by Déby's son, Mahamat Idriss Déby, a 37-year-old four-star general. Mahamat Déby won the 2024 Chad presidential election with 61 percent of the votes.
See also
In Spanish: Historia de Chad para niños
- History of Africa
- List of heads of government of Chad
- List of heads of state of Chad
- Politics of Chad
- Timeline of Chad
