United Front for Democratic Change

United Front for Democratic Change
Front uni pour le changement
FoundersHassan Salleh al-Gadam
Mahamat Nour Abdelkerim
Yaya Dillo Djérou
Abdelwahit About
Babikir Ismail
Abakar Tollimi
Almado Awad Mardo
Yaya Batit Ali al-Mahmoudi
PresidentMahamat Nour Abdelkerim
First Vice PresidentHassan Salleh al-Gadam
Second Vice PresidentAbakar Tollimi
Secretary GeneralAbdelwahit About
Foundation26–28 December 2005
Group(s)CNT
RDL
SCUD
FIDEL (until May 2007)
FNTR
Group of 8 December
CNR
FRRRT:
IdeologyAnti-Déby
Size5000–7000 (April 2006)
Part ofUFDD (from 2006)

The United Front for Democratic Change (Arabic: الجبهة المتحدة للتغيير الديمقراطي, French: Front uni pour le changement; FUC) was a Chadian rebel alliance, made up of eight individual rebel groups, all with the goals of overthrowing the government of Chadian president Idriss Déby. It is now part of the Union of Forces for Democracy and Development. UFDC was founded between 26–28 December 2005 in Modeina in eastern Chad. FUC's "president" is Mahamat Nour Abdelkerim, the former leader of the Rally for Democracy and Liberty rebel group, "first vice president" Hassan Salleh Algadam, "second vice president" Abakar Tollimi, and "secretary-general" Abdelwahit About. On 18 December the RDL and another allied rebel group, Platform for Change, Unity and Democracy, attacked the city of Adré. The attack was repulsed by the Chadian military, and the Chadian government accused the Sudanese government of supporting the rebels, which Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir denies. Chad declared a "state of belligerance" with Sudan on 23 December 2005, resulting in the Chad-Sudan Conflict. The result was the Tripoli Agreement.

Abdullahi Abdel Karim, the spokesperson for the Rally for Democracy and Liberty (RDL) rebels said, "Each of our groups had their own forces, men and equipment. Now, we'll be joining them together."[1]

On 19 January 2006, Abdelwahit About was arrested by the Sudanese government along with twenty other F.U.C. rebels, after he gave a radio interview stating that not only was he in Khartoum, but the F.U.C. had friendly ties to the Sudanese government.[2]

On 12 April 2006, rebels from the United Front drove 1000 km from their bases near the Sudan border to the Chadian capital, N'Djamena. Their attack on the capital which occurred before dawn was repelled by the Chadian army, as reported on 13 April.[3] (See Battle of N'Djamena.)

  1. ^ "Chad rebels join to overthrow president". CNN. 30 December 2005. [dead link]
  2. ^ "Thomson Reuters Foundation Humanitarian News". AlertNet. [dead link]
  3. ^ "Yahoo!". Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on 28 February 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2022.