Jean Alingué Bawoyeu
Encyclopedia
Jean Alingué Bawoyeu known in French as the vieux sage, which translates as "wise elder", is a Chad
ian politician. A Christian, his base of support is in Tandjilé
, in southern Chad, from which he originates. He was President of the National Assembly
in 1990 and then Prime Minister from 1991 to 1992. He has been Minister of Justice since April 2008.
in 1953, where he first served as a clerk in the capital's city treasury. Five years later he had risen to the position of city controller, and, with the independence of Chad from France
, he attended the National Treasury School
, in Paris
between 1960 and 1961. On his return to Chad in 1961 he was made Treasury Inspector and Advisor to the Director of Public Accounts. Alingué kept these posts for three years, after which he was promoted, in 1966, to the rank of Treasurer General of Chad, where he remained for ten years. In 1974 he was assigned to the diplomatic service
and sent to New York
as ambassador to the United Nations
and the United States
, and remained there until he was recalled in 1977. He was then Ambassador to France
from 1977 to 1979.
Following the disintegration of all central authority after the first battle of N'Djamena
in 1979, he became secretary-general of the Comité Permanente du Sud, the de-facto government of southern Chad led by Wadel Abdelkader Kamougué
. In June 1983, after the Comité's fall in 1982, he formed, with other southerners who had held important posts under the governments of François Tombalbaye
and Félix Malloum
, an opposition party, the Groupe des patriotes et democrates tchadiens. On April 27, 1984, in Lagos
, the group signed an accord with the Forces Populares et Revolutionnaires du Tchad, with the goal of forming a third force, opposed to both the Chadian government and the GUNT insurgents.
Hissène Habré
on July 8, 1988. The commission was charged with drafting a new constitution, which involved making a national inquiry that included missions and questionnaires. The new constitution was eventually approved by referendum on December 10, 1989. Under this constitution, a parliamentary election
was held in July 1990, and Alingué was elected to the National Assembly
. When the new National Assembly first met on August 5, 1990, it elected Alingué as President of the National Assembly.
When, on December 1, 1990, Habré and much of his government fled the capital before the advancing rebel forces of Idriss Déby
, Alingué, as the highest ranking civilian authority left in N'Djamena
, appealed for calm on the national radio and announced that he had assumed the lead of an interim government composed of fellow assemblymen and protected by the French troops stationed in the country. He also added that he had already started negotiations with General Déby and invited the government forces to depose their arms. Alingué refused on the occasion to assume the post of Head of State as he was entitled by the constitution
in case of vacancy of the presidency, and instead was content to prepare for Déby's arrival. When later in his political career he was accused of having shown weakness and timidity in taking this course, he answered that if he had taken the office he would have plunged the country into a useless bloodbath.
Talks between Alingué and Déby on the passage of powers began the next day, when Déby's forces rolled into the capital. On December 6, Déby, as new leader of Chad, dissolved the National Assembly and formed a new interim government composed of a 33-member Council of State, which included Alingué among its members.
On March 4, 1991, Déby was proclaimed President of Chad and he proceeded to dissolve the Council of State the day after. In the new government Alingué was given the largely impotent office of Prime Minister, a post he held until May 20, 1992, when he was replaced by Joseph Yodoyman
, like him a Chadian Southerner. This dismissal was felt by Alingué as an act of political ingratitude, transforming him through time into a staunch opponent of the president. During his period in office, in October 1991, the Council of Ministers adopted recommendations leading to the registration of political parties, thus putting an end to the single-party system.
(UDR);, of which he was elected president in March 1992, prior to the party's official recognition. the organization was readily considered among Chad's most prominent political parties. Alingué united his party with a study group created in April 1991 in Moyen-Chari
by a number of young local cadres and intellectuals, among whom was Koibla Djimasta
, who became Prime Minister in 1995. This alliance made the UDR a conglomerate of political fiefs, uniting Alingué's personal Tandjilé base with his allies following in Moyen-Chari. This alliance began breaking up in 1996 on the issue of the approval or not of the proposed constitution
. In the ensuing referendum, Djimasta campaigned actively in his region for the "yes", while Alingué became a leading spokesman for the "no" front. Alingué had previously favored a "yes" vote, but apparently was later forced to side with the "no" vote by his party that put him in minority in March 1996. This defection was later followed by that of another key Moyen-Chari UDR politician, Abdoulaye Djonouma, marking the breakup of the Moyen-Chari-Tandjilé coalition and reducing Alingué's UDR to a mere regional party.
Before the referendum, Alingué had played a significant role during the convening of the National Sovereign Conference (CNS) in 1993. He acted there as a spokesman for the members representing the political parties, presiding over the conclusive rounds of talks that beginning on March 7 were to define the last issues on the tables. In particular, he played an important role in putting an end to the serious deadlock that emerged regarding the composition and the size of the transitional legislature that was to remain in office until elections were held. After many fruitless votations, Alingué, speaking for the political parties, imposed a compromise proposal, on which no negotiation or debate was accepted.
, coming fourth with 8.31% of the vote. Alingué, together with the other 14 opposition candidates, attempted to have the first round of the elections
annulled for alleged massive frauds and falsifications favouring President Déby, but their joint petition to the Court of Appeal was rejected on June 19; Alingué then, with other candidates, invited the electors to boycott the second round.
His party, the UDR, took part in the 1997 parliamentary election
, obtaining four seats. He showed himself, in 1998, to be a staunch advocate for the disengagement of Chadian troops from the Congo War
, arguing that, since there was no defensive accord between Chad and Congo-Kinshasa, there was no legal basis for the presence of Chadian troops in Congo.
He participated in the presidential election
held on May 20, 2001, but finished last, receiving only 2.05%, losing 26% in his Tandjilé stronghold and 14% in N'Djamena
compared with 1996. With all the opposition candidates he denounced the elections, asking for a rerun. In 2002, his party, the UDR, boycotted the last parliamentary election
, and did the same, in 2005, for the constitutional referendum
. When the results of the latter were published, declared that the results were fixed and accused Déby of attempting to set up a political dynasty. On March 26, 2005, the Public Security and Immigration Minister Abderahmane Moussa withdrew Alingué's passport, claiming that it was not valid, and thus prevented him from leaving Chad to participate in an important gathering of the main opposition leaders in Paris
on March 27, 2005. Opposition newspapers argued that the passport was valid, reporting a statement by Alingué, who said that he had travelled with the same passport since 2002 without anybody questioning its validity.
In the government of Prime Minister Youssouf Saleh Abbas
, which was announced on April 23, 2008, Alingué was appointed as Minister of Justice. He was one of four members of the Coordination of Political Parties for Defense of the Constitution opposition coalition to be included in the government.
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by 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...
ian politician. A Christian, his base of support is in Tandjilé
Tandjilé Region
Tandjilé is one of the 22 regions of Chad and its capital is Laï.-Subdivisions:The region of Tandjilé is divided in 2 departments:-Demography:...
, in southern Chad, from which he originates. He was President of the National Assembly
National Assembly of Chad
The National Assembly is the parliament of Chad. It has 155 members, elected for a four year term in 25 single-member constituencies and 34 multi-member constituencies.-See also:*List of Presidents of the National Assembly of Chad...
in 1990 and then Prime Minister from 1991 to 1992. He has been Minister of Justice since April 2008.
Early career
A largely self-educated man, Alingué started his career by entering the civil serviceCivil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
in 1953, where he first served as a clerk in the capital's city treasury. Five years later he had risen to the position of city controller, and, with the independence of Chad from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, he attended the National Treasury School
National Treasury School
The National Treasury School, or École nationale du Trésor public, is the French government's school for training civil servants, and future civil servants, for competitive entry to finance posts in the French civil service....
, in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
between 1960 and 1961. On his return to Chad in 1961 he was made Treasury Inspector and Advisor to the Director of Public Accounts. Alingué kept these posts for three years, after which he was promoted, in 1966, to the rank of Treasurer General of Chad, where he remained for ten years. In 1974 he was assigned to the diplomatic service
Diplomatic service
Diplomatic service is the body of diplomats and foreign policy officers maintained by the government of a country to communicate with the governments of other countries. Diplomatic personnel enjoy diplomatic immunity when they are accredited to other countries...
and sent to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
as ambassador to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and remained there until he was recalled in 1977. He was then Ambassador to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
from 1977 to 1979.
Following the disintegration of all central authority after the first battle of N'Djamena
Battle of N'Djamena
The Battle of N'Djamena was a battle between the forces of the revolutionary United Front for Democratic Change and the military of Chad that occurred on 13 April 2006 when rebel forces launched an assault on the capital of Chad in the pre-dawn hours, attempting to overthrow the government of...
in 1979, he became secretary-general of the Comité Permanente du Sud, the de-facto government of southern Chad led by Wadel Abdelkader Kamougué
Wadel Abdelkader Kamougué
Wadel Abdelkader Kamougué was a Chadian politician and former army officer. Kamougué was a leading figure in the 1975 coup d'état and since then he has held several positions in the Chadian government and legislature. He was Vice-President from 1979 to 1982 and was President of the National...
. In June 1983, after the Comité's fall in 1982, he formed, with other southerners who had held important posts under the governments of François Tombalbaye
François Tombalbaye
François Tombalbaye, also called Ngarta Tombalbaye , was a teacher and a trade union activist who served as the first president of Chad. He was born in the southern region of the country in the Moyen-Chari Prefecture near the city of Koumara and was of the Sara ethnic group, the prominent ethnicity...
and Félix Malloum
Félix Malloum
General Félix Malloum or Félix Malloum Ngakoutou Bey-Ndi was a Chadian politician from the south. He served as an officer in the Chadian Military and as a member of the ruling Chadian Progressive Party . He later became the Chief of Staff with the rank of colonel...
, an opposition party, the Groupe des patriotes et democrates tchadiens. On April 27, 1984, in Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
, the group signed an accord with the Forces Populares et Revolutionnaires du Tchad, with the goal of forming a third force, opposed to both the Chadian government and the GUNT insurgents.
President of the National Assembly and Prime Minister
Reconciled with the government, Alingué became president of the constitutional commission created by PresidentHeads of state of Chad
-List of Heads of State of Chad:-Affiliations:-External links:**...
Hissène Habré
Hissène Habré
Hissène Habré , also spelled Hissen Habré, was the leader of Chad from 1982 until he was deposed in 1990.-Early life:...
on July 8, 1988. The commission was charged with drafting a new constitution, which involved making a national inquiry that included missions and questionnaires. The new constitution was eventually approved by referendum on December 10, 1989. Under this constitution, a parliamentary election
Chadian parliamentary election, 1990
Parliamentary elections were held in Chad on 8 July 1990. They were the first elections since 1969 and followed a referendum the previous year which had made the country a one-party state, with the National Union for Independence and Revolution as the sole legal party. However, all 436 candidates...
was held in July 1990, and Alingué was elected to the National Assembly
National Assembly of Chad
The National Assembly is the parliament of Chad. It has 155 members, elected for a four year term in 25 single-member constituencies and 34 multi-member constituencies.-See also:*List of Presidents of the National Assembly of Chad...
. When the new National Assembly first met on August 5, 1990, it elected Alingué as President of the National Assembly.
When, on December 1, 1990, Habré and much of his government fled the capital before the advancing rebel forces of Idriss Déby
Idriss Déby
General Idriss Déby Itno is the President of Chad and the head of the Patriotic Salvation Movement. Déby is of the Bidyat clan of the Zaghawa ethnic group. He added "Itno" to his surname in January 2006.-Rise to power:...
, Alingué, as the highest ranking civilian authority left in N'Djamena
N'Djamena
N'Djamena is the capital and largest city of Chad. A port on the Chari River, near the confluence with the Logone River, it directly faces the Cameroonian town of Kousséri, to which the city is connected by a bridge. It is also a special statute region, divided in 10 arrondissements. It is a...
, appealed for calm on the national radio and announced that he had assumed the lead of an interim government composed of fellow assemblymen and protected by the French troops stationed in the country. He also added that he had already started negotiations with General Déby and invited the government forces to depose their arms. Alingué refused on the occasion to assume the post of Head of State as he was entitled by the constitution
Constitution of Chad
The Constitution of the Republic of Chad is the supreme law of Chad. Adopted in 1996, six years after President Idriss Déby rose to power following a successful rebellion against President Hissène Habré, this formal document establishes the framework of the Chadian state and government and...
in case of vacancy of the presidency, and instead was content to prepare for Déby's arrival. When later in his political career he was accused of having shown weakness and timidity in taking this course, he answered that if he had taken the office he would have plunged the country into a useless bloodbath.
Talks between Alingué and Déby on the passage of powers began the next day, when Déby's forces rolled into the capital. On December 6, Déby, as new leader of Chad, dissolved the National Assembly and formed a new interim government composed of a 33-member Council of State, which included Alingué among its members.
On March 4, 1991, Déby was proclaimed President of Chad and he proceeded to dissolve the Council of State the day after. In the new government Alingué was given the largely impotent office of Prime Minister, a post he held until May 20, 1992, when he was replaced by Joseph Yodoyman
Joseph Yodoyman
Joseph Yodoyman was a Chadian politician and civil servant, who held the post of Prime Minister under President Idriss Déby from 1992 to 1993....
, like him a Chadian Southerner. This dismissal was felt by Alingué as an act of political ingratitude, transforming him through time into a staunch opponent of the president. During his period in office, in October 1991, the Council of Ministers adopted recommendations leading to the registration of political parties, thus putting an end to the single-party system.
Birth of the UDR
While still Prime Minister, he founded one of the first new political parties, the Union for Democracy and RepublicUnion for Democracy and Republic (Chad)
The Union for Democracy and Republic is a Chadian political party founded in 1992. In March the party elected as its president Jean Alingué Bawoyeu, who had just left the position of Prime Minister. In the parliamentary election of 1997 the party took 4 seats and initially supported the president...
(UDR);, of which he was elected president in March 1992, prior to the party's official recognition. the organization was readily considered among Chad's most prominent political parties. Alingué united his party with a study group created in April 1991 in Moyen-Chari
Moyen-Chari Prefecture
This article refers to one of the former prefectures of Chad. From 2002 the country was divided into 18 regions.Moyen-Chari was one of the 14 prefectures of Chad. Located in the south of the country, Moyen-Chari covered an area of 45,180 square kilometers and had a population of 738,595 in 1993....
by a number of young local cadres and intellectuals, among whom was Koibla Djimasta
Koibla Djimasta
Koibla Djimasta was a Chadian politician of Sara ethnicity from the southern Chari-Baguirmi Prefecture.An administrator, Djimasta held various cabinet positions under Presidents Hissène Habré and Idriss Déby, beginning with his appointment as Minister of Health and Social Affairs in the cabinet...
, who became Prime Minister in 1995. This alliance made the UDR a conglomerate of political fiefs, uniting Alingué's personal Tandjilé base with his allies following in Moyen-Chari. This alliance began breaking up in 1996 on the issue of the approval or not of the proposed constitution
Chadian constitutional referendum, 1996
A constitutional referendum was held in Chad on 31 March 1996 to approve or reject the new constitutional draft meant to definitively replace the Transitional Charter established by the Sovereign National Conference in 1993...
. In the ensuing referendum, Djimasta campaigned actively in his region for the "yes", while Alingué became a leading spokesman for the "no" front. Alingué had previously favored a "yes" vote, but apparently was later forced to side with the "no" vote by his party that put him in minority in March 1996. This defection was later followed by that of another key Moyen-Chari UDR politician, Abdoulaye Djonouma, marking the breakup of the Moyen-Chari-Tandjilé coalition and reducing Alingué's UDR to a mere regional party.
Before the referendum, Alingué had played a significant role during the convening of the National Sovereign Conference (CNS) in 1993. He acted there as a spokesman for the members representing the political parties, presiding over the conclusive rounds of talks that beginning on March 7 were to define the last issues on the tables. In particular, he played an important role in putting an end to the serious deadlock that emerged regarding the composition and the size of the transitional legislature that was to remain in office until elections were held. After many fruitless votations, Alingué, speaking for the political parties, imposed a compromise proposal, on which no negotiation or debate was accepted.
Elections
Under the UDR's banner Alingué presented himself on June 2, 1996, as a candidate for the country's first competitive presidential election since independenceChadian presidential election, 1996
Presidential election were held in Chad on 2 June 1996, with a second round on 3 July. This was the first multiparty presidential election in the history of Chad since its independence. It occurred at the end of a long transitional process and was repeatedly delayed...
, coming fourth with 8.31% of the vote. Alingué, together with the other 14 opposition candidates, attempted to have the first round of the elections
Two-round system
The two-round system is a voting system used to elect a single winner where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate...
annulled for alleged massive frauds and falsifications favouring President Déby, but their joint petition to the Court of Appeal was rejected on June 19; Alingué then, with other candidates, invited the electors to boycott the second round.
His party, the UDR, took part in the 1997 parliamentary election
Chadian parliamentary election, 1997
Parliamentary elections were held in Chad in 1997, the first multi-party election since independence in 1960. The voting system was similar to that of France, using runoff voting, with two separate rounds of voting, the first on 5 January and the second on 23 February in those constituencies where...
, obtaining four seats. He showed himself, in 1998, to be a staunch advocate for the disengagement of Chadian troops from the Congo War
Second Congo War
The Second Congo War, also known as Coltan War and the Great War of Africa, began in August 1998 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , and officially ended in July 2003 when the Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo took power; however, hostilities continue to this...
, arguing that, since there was no defensive accord between Chad and Congo-Kinshasa, there was no legal basis for the presence of Chadian troops in Congo.
He participated in the presidential election
Chadian presidential election, 2001
A presential election was held in Chad on May 20, 2001. President Idriss Déby stood as a candidate for a second term. He obtained the support of a former opponent, Lol Mahamat Choua, leader of the Rally for Democracy and Progress ....
held on May 20, 2001, but finished last, receiving only 2.05%, losing 26% in his Tandjilé stronghold and 14% in N'Djamena
N'Djamena
N'Djamena is the capital and largest city of Chad. A port on the Chari River, near the confluence with the Logone River, it directly faces the Cameroonian town of Kousséri, to which the city is connected by a bridge. It is also a special statute region, divided in 10 arrondissements. It is a...
compared with 1996. With all the opposition candidates he denounced the elections, asking for a rerun. In 2002, his party, the UDR, boycotted the last parliamentary election
Chadian parliamentary election, 2002
The Chadian parliamentary election of 2002 was the second multi-party parliamentary election since the independence of Chad, and came after the normal expiry of the mandate of the National Assembly's deputies...
, and did the same, in 2005, for the constitutional referendum
Chadian constitutional referendum, 2005
On 6 June 2005 the Chadian voters were called to pronounce themselves through a referendum on the revision of the Constitution originally approved on 31 March 1996....
. When the results of the latter were published, declared that the results were fixed and accused Déby of attempting to set up a political dynasty. On March 26, 2005, the Public Security and Immigration Minister Abderahmane Moussa withdrew Alingué's passport, claiming that it was not valid, and thus prevented him from leaving Chad to participate in an important gathering of the main opposition leaders in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
on March 27, 2005. Opposition newspapers argued that the passport was valid, reporting a statement by Alingué, who said that he had travelled with the same passport since 2002 without anybody questioning its validity.
In the government of Prime Minister Youssouf Saleh Abbas
Youssouf Saleh Abbas
Youssouf Saleh Abbas is a Chadian political figure who was Prime Minister of Chad from April 2008 to March 2010. He was previously a diplomatic adviser and special representative of President Idriss Déby.-Political career:...
, which was announced on April 23, 2008, Alingué was appointed as Minister of Justice. He was one of four members of the Coordination of Political Parties for Defense of the Constitution opposition coalition to be included in the government.