The president of African Bar Association (AFBA), Mr. Hannibal Uwaifo, has expressed sadness over the reported killing of the President of Chad, Mr. Idris Derby.
Speaking on behalf of the association, Uwaifo called on international bodies to nip in the bud, the alarming rate of heinous crime and political instability in the region.
He stressed that though, AFBA is not a supporter of the late president on account of his style of governance, but his commitment to the security and preservation of the integrity of the Republic of Chad and ECOWAS sub-region is not in doubt.
“While AFBA may not be a supporter of the regime of the late president, on account of several disagreement including constitutional reform, free and fair elections, his commitment to the security and preservation of the territorial integrity of was never in doubt.
“We also recognises the late President’s contributions to African Union (AU) and the coesion of the ECOWAS sub-region”.
Uwaifo also tasked leaders of AU and the international community to probe the role of the military in the death of Derby and his succession.
“On behalf of AFBA, I wish to draw the attention of the AU and international community to the suspicious death of President Derby and the role played by the military and succession processes. And it is the view of the association, that the situation now calls for the full intervention by the United Nations and other international bodies.
“We strongly call on the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, particularly, the in-coming prosecutor of the court, Mr. Karim Khum QC, to take full note of these heinous atrocities, those behind them and their sponsors”.
Uwaifo also admonished that, this sad event in Chad should not detract attention away from the severe and dire security situation in Niger Republic and the Sahel region where terrorists, bandits and organised armed gangs supported by international criminal gangs and internal political collaborators are unleashing terrors on helpless civilians in the region. Adding that, it is important that early warnings are sent and framework for arresting the situation are worked out before the destabilization of the entire region.