Chad is going through a very difficult time because "of disputes on the
presidential election management, the non-payment of wages and the
austerity measures taken by the government to tackle the economic and
financial crisis" write the Bishops of Chad in their Christmas message,
only now being made known and available. Politically the Bishops complain about "the lack of dialogue" between government and opposition and between institutions and civil society that constitutes "a serious threat to democracy".
Since Chad has been exporting oil "the Country has lost its agricultural and pastoral vocation" stressed the message. "But the mismanagement of oil revenues and the brutal fall in international oil prices have brought to light, as expected, the fragility of an economy based on a resource that arouses against so many ambitions".
The lack of interest in the primary sector and the advance of desertification are causing "bloody conflicts between shepherds and farmers, causing human and material losses".
The Bishops ask everyone to do their part to get the Country out of the crisis by inviting the population to "resist the temptation of violence and discouragement".
"The future of the Country belongs to you. It is up to you to draw a new path, away from beaten paths marked by the errors of the past. This happens if there is tolerance, respect for differences and beliefs and mutual acceptance".