By John Ikani
The Chadian government has in a surprising development, expelled the German ambassador, Jan-Christian Gordon Kricke, from the country, citing his “impolite attitude” and failure to respect diplomatic customs.
The government spokesperson in a statement issued on Saturday, attributed Kricke’s actions to a violation of the Vienna Convention, which governs the principles of diplomatic relations between countries.
While no specific reason was given for Kricke’s expulsion, local media reports suggest that the ambassador’s criticism of Chad’s current transitional government may have contributed to the move.
Since April 2021, Chad, an oil-rich country in the Sahel region, has been governed by a transitional military regime headed by President Mahamat Idriss Déby following the death of his father, longtime ruler Idriss Déby, who was killed by rebels seeking to overthrow his government.
Despite promising to hold democratic elections within a year and a half, Déby has repeatedly delayed them.
Opposition protests were brutally suppressed last autumn, leading many foreign diplomats, including Kricke, to condemn the violence.
Kricke, who had served as Germany’s ambassador to Chad since 2021, has been given 48 hours to leave the country.
