What tensions threatened Chad’s stability after independence?

Following its independence on August 11, 1960, Chad’s stability was primarily threatened by deep-seated regional and cultural tensions.12

Primary Sources of Instability

• Regional and Cultural Divisions: The country faced significant friction between the Black, often Christian populations of the economically progressive southwest and the conservative, Muslim, non-Black leadership of the northern feudal states.12
• Political Consolidation: The transition to a one-party state under President N’Garta Tombalbaye exacerbated these divisions. Following an alleged conspiracy by Muslim elements in 1963, the government dissolved the National Assembly and arrested opposition leaders, further alienating northern factions.12
• External Involvement: The situation was further complicated by the influence of Libya, which supported various opposition movements.13

By the mid-1960s, these tensions manifested in the emergence of guerrilla movements, such as the Front for the National Liberation of Chad (Frolinat), which sought to overthrow the government, reduce French influence, and align more closely with the Arab states of North Africa.345