The Chadian environmental association Green Earth calls on the authorities to stop environmental degradation during armed conflict. An ecological appeal that comes a few months before the presidential and legislative elections of 2021 in Chad.
After conducting a reforestation campaign in August 2020, which resulted in the planting of nearly 3,000 trees in a fortnight in the Chadian capital Ndjamena, the Green Earth association for the protection of the environment is embarking on a new challenge: to preserve the environment in times of conflict. Green Earth made a plea to this effect on November 6th, 2020, on the occasion of the 19th edition of the International Day for the Preservation of the Environment in Times of War and Conflict.
This plea is particularly addressed to the authorities of Chad, the Central African country where presidential elections are scheduled for April 11th, 2021 and legislative elections for October 24th, of the same year. “For Chad, which is close to elections, we hope that the various actors accept the outstretched hand for peace in order to protect the environment,” said Abdelaziz Mahamat Amat Alyacouby, president of Green Earth.
An appeal in line with one of the recommendations made by the political class
The Chadian government organized the 2nd National Inclusive Forum from 29 October to 1 November 2020 in Ndjamena, as a prelude to the 2021 elections. Among the 28 recommendations of this forum aimed at preventing conflicts during the electoral period, there is the one that calls for the recurrent issues of intercommunity conflict and the conflict between farmers and livestock breeders to be addressed. The destruction of the environment is precisely one of these recurring issues, even if it is not often mentioned, as is the case with human and material damage. Yet in times of conflict, water from wells and rivers can be polluted, crops burnt, trees cut down or animals killed.
In its statement establishing the International Day for Environmental Preservation in Times of War and Conflict, the UN General Assembly explains that environmental damage in times of armed conflict disrupts ecosystems and endangers natural resources long after the end of hostilities. They also have effects that extend and prolong well beyond the limits of national territories and have consequences for future generations.
Boris Ngounou
