Why did the Front for the National Liberation of Chad form in 1966?

The Front for the National Liberation of Chad (Frolinat) was established in 1966 as a guerrilla movement driven by several core objectives. Its primary goals were to overthrow the existing government, diminish the influence of France in Chad, and foster a closer association with the Arab states of North Africa.12

The formation of such movements occurred against a backdrop of internal instability following Chad's independence in 1960. Tensions existed between the economically progressive, largely Black and Christian populations of the southwest and the conservative, Muslim leadership of the northern regions. These divisions were exacerbated by the transition to a one-party state under President N’Garta Tombalbaye, which followed the 1963 dissolution of the National Assembly and the suppression of political opposition.3