Chadian delegations in Doha agree to name Qatar as mediator in peace talks

Qatar has agreed to act as a mediator in Chad peace talks in a bid to unblock the fledgling process, officials and rebel groups said [...]. Representatives of the government and more than 40 rebel and political opponents have been in Qatar for more than two weeks trying to launch negotiations that could lead to elections this year in the landlocked African state. [...] Qatar -- which has previously helped in peace efforts for Yemen, Lebanon, Sudan and between the Afghan Taliban and US government -- had agreed to host the talks but initially wanted to stay out of the main negotiations. [...] Three opposition alliances have each set up a negotiating committee and the mediator has held individual meetings with them on contacts with the government. [...] FACT, which was the group fighting the elder Deby when he was fatally wounded, want a wider amnesty for rebels. The mediator has a long list of political demands from other groups including the return of seized assets. Under the plan of the younger Deby, a 38-year-old army general, the Doha talks would lead to a national dialogue starting on May 10 before agreeing a new constitution and then holding elections. "They have lost two weeks and it is turning into a long process," said an African diplomat monitoring the talks. "The Chadians will struggle to start the national dialogue on time."
Read the full article here: RFI