Nomad and National Guard
Encyclopedia
The National and Nomadic Guard of Chad (Garde Nationale et Nomade du Tchad or GNNT) is one of four defence and security forces
in Chad
. (The others are the Army, the Gendarmerie and the Police). Article 200 of the Constitution of 1996
states that the duties of the GNNT are the protection of politicians and government officials, guarding government buildings, the maintenance of order in rural areas, and guarding prisons and prisoners.
Even though the Constitution adds, in Article 201, that the GNNT must "respect the liberties and rights of man" when exercising its functions, the GNNT has been accused of perpetrating serious Human Rights
violations, as reported by Amnesty International
. Following the murder of a corporal
of the GNNT, the suspect in the case was extrajudicially executed on November 17, 1996 by the GNNT.
The GNNT is under the control of the Minister for Territorial Administration, unlike the Army and the Gendarmerie, which come under the responsibility of the Minister of Defence. The GNNT is since May 24, 2006 commanded by the Brigadier General
Mahamat Saleh Brahim, cousin of the President Idriss Déby
.
The GNNT was first known in the 1960s as the Territorial Guard, but was early renamed in the decade Nomad and National Guard, and carried out much the same duties it does today, that is providing security for officials, government buildings, and regional government posts. Differently from today, the GNN was then dominated by Southerners, with only 250 Toubou
. This also explains the resentment that brought in 1968 to the destruction of the GNN garrison of Aozou and the mutiny of the Toubou units, forming la Deuxième Armée of the FROLINAT
. Notwithstanding this setback the President François Tombalbaye
showed much more trust in the GNN than in the army, increasing by 1971 its effectives to at least 3,500 men, commanded by Camille Gourvenec
, a French
officer that was also the Director of Information Services (i.e., the espionage
). Gourvenec's deputy was Pierre Galopin
.
When the Chadian Civil War
extended itself to the Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti in 1968, the GNN found itself increasingly on the frontline against the insurgents. The final showdown among the inurgency and the Chadian Armed Forces
came in 1977–78, when Goukouni Oueddei
, leader of a faction of the FROLINAT, conquered all the government's strongholds in northern Chad, inflicting staggering losses to the armed forces; the CNN in particular was heavily decimated in early 1978 when Goukouni took Fada
and the capital of the Bourkou-Ennedi-Tibesti, Faya-Largeau
. This practically brought to the end of the GNN, until it was revived shortly before 1996 by the current President
Idriss Déby
.
Military of Chad
The Military of Chad consists of the Armed Forces , Republican Guard, Rapid Intervention Force, Police, and National and Nomadic Guard...
in Chad
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...
. (The others are the Army, the Gendarmerie and the Police). Article 200 of the Constitution of 1996
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...
states that the duties of the GNNT are the protection of politicians and government officials, guarding government buildings, the maintenance of order in rural areas, and guarding prisons and prisoners.
Even though the Constitution adds, in Article 201, that the GNNT must "respect the liberties and rights of man" when exercising its functions, the GNNT has been accused of perpetrating serious Human Rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
violations, as reported by Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
. Following the murder of a corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
of the GNNT, the suspect in the case was extrajudicially executed on November 17, 1996 by the GNNT.
The GNNT is under the control of the Minister for Territorial Administration, unlike the Army and the Gendarmerie, which come under the responsibility of the Minister of Defence. The GNNT is since May 24, 2006 commanded by the Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Mahamat Saleh Brahim, cousin of the President 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:...
.
The GNNT was first known in the 1960s as the Territorial Guard, but was early renamed in the decade Nomad and National Guard, and carried out much the same duties it does today, that is providing security for officials, government buildings, and regional government posts. Differently from today, the GNN was then dominated by Southerners, with only 250 Toubou
Toubou
The Tubu are an ethnic group that live mainly in northern Chad, but also in Libya, Niger and Sudan....
. This also explains the resentment that brought in 1968 to the destruction of the GNN garrison of Aozou and the mutiny of the Toubou units, forming la Deuxième Armée of the FROLINAT
FROLINAT
-Origins:The organization was born as the result of a political union between the leftist Chadian National Union , led by Ibrahim Abatcha, and the General Union of the Children of Chad which was led by Ahmed Hassan Musa. Musa was close to the Muslim Brotherhood and was an Islamist...
. Notwithstanding this setback the President 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...
showed much more trust in the GNN than in the army, increasing by 1971 its effectives to at least 3,500 men, commanded by Camille Gourvenec
Camille Gourvenec
Camille Gourvenec was an officer of the French external intelligence service SDECE, possibly with the rank of colonel, who, from 1966, was seconded as security adviser to President François Tombalbaye of Chad, and was therefore effectively head of Tombalbaye's security and intelligence service. He...
, a French
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...
officer that was also the Director of Information Services (i.e., the espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
). Gourvenec's deputy was Pierre Galopin
Pierre Galopin
Pierre Galopin was a French military officer who came to international attention when he was captured by a group of Chadian rebels, led by Hissène Habré, on 4 August 1974 in the Tibesti mountains, in the middle of the Sahara desert...
.
When the Chadian Civil War
Chadian Civil War
The Transitional Government of National Unity was the coalition government of armed groups that nominally ruled Chad from 1979 to 1982, during the most chaotic phase of the long-running civil war that began in 1965. The GUNT replaced the fragile alliance led by Félix Malloum and Hissène Habré,...
extended itself to the Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti in 1968, the GNN found itself increasingly on the frontline against the insurgents. The final showdown among the inurgency and the Chadian Armed Forces
Chadian Armed Forces
The Chadian Armed Forces were the army of the central government of Chad from 1960 to 1979, under the southern presidents François Tombalbaye and Félix Malloum, until the downfall of the latter in 1979, when the head of the gendarmerie, Wadel Abdelkader Kamougué, assumed command...
came in 1977–78, when Goukouni Oueddei
Goukouni Oueddei
Goukouni Oueddei is a Chadian political figure. He was Head of State of Chad from 1979 to 1982. He is currently in exile.-Biography:...
, leader of a faction of the FROLINAT, conquered all the government's strongholds in northern Chad, inflicting staggering losses to the armed forces; the CNN in particular was heavily decimated in early 1978 when Goukouni took Fada
Fada
Fada is the capital of the Ennedi Ouest department of Chad, lying in the Ennedi Plateau. It has a population of 23,786 .It is known for the surrounding cave paintings and rock formations, while the Guelta d'Archei and a wood growing in a wadi are local attractions.It is the birthplace of the...
and the capital of the Bourkou-Ennedi-Tibesti, Faya-Largeau
Faya-Largeau
Located in the Sahara, Faya's climate is classed as hot desert on the Köppen climate classification. It experiences hot winters and very hot summers with the peak average maximum temperature reaching in May and the average minimum reaching its lowest in January at . Rainfall averages out at about...
. This practically brought to the end of the GNN, until it was revived shortly before 1996 by the current President
Heads of state of Chad
-List of Heads of State of Chad:-Affiliations:-External links:**...
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:...
.