Chad: The Interim Government Orders German Ambassador 48 Hours To Leave The Country

The Chadian Interim government spokesman Aziz Mahamat Saleh requested that Ambassador Gordon Kricke leave the country within 48 hours.

According two government sources in Chad told Reuters News Agency that Gordon Kricke The German Ambassador in country, had criticised the delay in holding elections after the coup and a ruling allowing interim military leader Mahamat Idriss Deby to run in 2024 elections.

Germany’s foreign ministry did not comment on Kricke’s expulsion but stated that it was in contact with Chadian authorities and found the move “absolutely incomprehensible.”

Gordon Kricke The German Ambassador Given 48 Hrs To Leave Chad

Kricke has been serving as ambassador since July 2021 and has previously served as a diplomat in Niger, Angola, and the Philippines. A government source told AFP a leading global news agency that Gordon Kricke was seen as “interfering too much” in the country’s governance and making divisive remarks, and he had been warned on several occasions.

After Mahamat Idriss Deby seized power following his father’s death in a conflict with rebels, military leaders in Chad promised an 18-month transition to elections. However, last year, they extended the timeline by two years, delaying elections until October 2024. This move sparked protests resulting in the deaths of dozens of civilians and worried regional powers and the United States, who have warned against extending military rule.