Independence Day, Eastern Chad, December 1, 2010:  Yesterday I bought filet, then had it ground into ground beef. I also bought flour, sugar, and dishwashing liquid.  I went to the ATM today, but it did not accept our card.

A Pakistani man ahead of me was also trying to get money.  However, his card was not accepted. I helped him understand that when the machine is low on bills, it only allows bank members to make withdrawals. As I was there, what should have been obvious to me came to mind at last: today is Independence Day! With the limited number of stores open, I was sure glad that I had bought the essentials yesterday!

Celebrating Independence

On December 1st, 1990, Idriss Déby Itno took over the country of Chad in a rebellion. Here, we call it “Independence Day.” At the time, Hissène Habré ran an oppressive regime.  Those who opposed his government in thought or word often died.

This pilot turned military general mustered up an army and support in Sudan, then made his way from Tiné to the capital city. He was far away from the capital when RFI announced that he was about to take over the country. Cellphone services were not available back then, so there was no way to confirm the claim; President Habré fled the country by plane.

When Déby arrived, there was no resistance to deal with. When compared to the terror people lived with under Habré, hopes were high and almost everyone celebrated the freedom. As I recall, it rained in the capital on that day 20 years ago, which in Chad is a sign of blessing. And over the past 20 years, though many have tried, no one has been able to replace Déby. And two years later, around April 10, 1992, I arrived in Chad for the very first time on a flight from Cameroon.

What I saw to remind me that today was a holiday were preparations for a speech at the “stade“. A stade is an open area for ceremonies in the center of town.  It has bleachers with a shade over them, and a stage in between the bleachers. Then I realized that the merchants had not opened their boutiques that day. So I abandoned my plans of shopping at the central market and running a few errands, and returned home to work from home with the girls and their homeschooling.