Timane Erdimi
Encyclopedia
Timane Erdimi is the leader of the Chad
ian rebel group Rally of Democratic Forces
(Rassemblement des Forces pour le Changement, RFC) which had 800 soldiers in early 2008. He is a member of the ethnic group Zaghawa and nephew of the Chadian President Idriss Déby
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An international arrest warrant was issued by Chad for Erdimi in 2007. He was among 12 people sentenced to death in absentia by a Chadian court on August 15, 2008. Responding to this sentence, Erdimi said that he had been unaware of the trial and remarked that it was his opponents in the government who "should be put on trial".
Despite past differences, various rebel groups, including the RFC, agreed to unite as the Union of Resistance Forces
on January 19, 2009. Erdimi said that this move would "allow us to better fight against the regime", and he spoke scornfully of the improvements Déby had made to his military, saying that Déby "should have bought robots for his new tanks and planes" because "he won't find anyone to drive and fly them when we attack." The Union of Resistance Forces reportedly chose Erdimi by consensus to lead the new group on January 23.
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 rebel group Rally of Democratic Forces
Rally of Democratic Forces (rebel group)
The Rally of Democratic Forces is a Chadian rebel group led by Timane Erdimi. It is currently allied to the United Front for Democratic Change rebel group and both are dedicated to overthrowing Erdimi's uncle, the current Chadian President Idriss Déby and his administration...
(Rassemblement des Forces pour le Changement, RFC) which had 800 soldiers in early 2008. He is a member of the ethnic group Zaghawa and nephew of the Chadian 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:...
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An international arrest warrant was issued by Chad for Erdimi in 2007. He was among 12 people sentenced to death in absentia by a Chadian court on August 15, 2008. Responding to this sentence, Erdimi said that he had been unaware of the trial and remarked that it was his opponents in the government who "should be put on trial".
Despite past differences, various rebel groups, including the RFC, agreed to unite as the Union of Resistance Forces
Union of Resistance Forces
The Union of Resistance Forces is one of the rebel groups fighting in the war in Chad. It is backed by Sudan.It confirmed that their fighters had clashed with Chad's government forces in the southeastern Salamat region in May, 2009 in what is called the Battle of Am Dam....
on January 19, 2009. Erdimi said that this move would "allow us to better fight against the regime", and he spoke scornfully of the improvements Déby had made to his military, saying that Déby "should have bought robots for his new tanks and planes" because "he won't find anyone to drive and fly them when we attack." The Union of Resistance Forces reportedly chose Erdimi by consensus to lead the new group on January 23.