Chadian Foreign Affairs Minister Feels Sidelined, Resigns

N’DJAMENA–Longtime Foreign Affairs Minster of Chad and government diplomat Mahamat Zene Cherif, resigned today after tweeting a document announcing his resignation and justifying his decision.

The document, addressed to Mahamat Idriss Deby, the current president of Chad, accuses the aforementioned head of state of carrying out “repetitive” and “untimely” “parallel initiatives and actions” that “thwarted” and interfered with the exercise of his functions. According to the former Minister these actions reduced him to “a mere extra person” and made the situation “unhealthy” and “confusing.” Responses to his announcement varied widely, some netizens claiming it was a wise move while others like @adamsxxz seemed to imply the former Minister was exercising too much control.

However, Foreign Affairs Minister isn’t the first title Mahamat Cherif has enjoyed as a Chadian diplomat, with past positions including Ambassador to Ethiopia, the African Union and the UN Economic Commission for Africa. Cherif was also previously the business director of the fated Chadian airline Air Chad, and was appointed President of the UN Security Commission in 2014. Despite his long list of achievements, it’s unclear what the future holds for the politician. As a strong supporter of Idriss Deby and the Deby regime, his resignation come as a surprise to many Chadians, after a long and successful career within the government.