Three journalists in Chad have been remanded in custody after being accused of colluding with the Russian paramilitary group, Wagner. The detainees include Olivier Mbaindinguim Monodji, director of Le Pays and Chadian correspondent for Radio France Internationale (RFI), Ndilyam Guekidata, an editor at Le Pays, and Mahamat Saleh Alhissein, a journalist from Tele Tchad.
The public prosecutor, Omar Mahamat Kedelaye, confirmed the accusations on Monday, stating that the journalists are suspected of working with Wagner. Following their questioning by an examining magistrate, they were transferred to Klessoum prison and will appear in court on Thursday.
This arrest comes amid increasing crackdowns on opposition figures, journalists, and activists critical of Chad’s military leadership. Since taking power in 2021 after his father’s death, President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno has faced international scrutiny over his administration’s suppression of dissent, which critics describe as authoritarian. In September 2024, the World Organization Against Torture condemned the growing use of arbitrary detentions by Chadian intelligence services.
As tensions rise, the case underscores broader concerns over press freedom and political repression in Chad.
