Parliament passes amnesty bill for rebels

Parliamentarians in the Chadian capital, N'djamena, passed a bill on Tuesday granting a general amnesty to rebels of the Movement for Democracy and Justice in Chad (MDJT), Chad's national radio reported. There were 64 votes in favour, 21 abstentions and one against, Radiodiffusion Nationale Tchadienne reported. The amnesty formed part of a peace agreement signed between the rebels and the government in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on 7 January. Other elements of the peace deal included an immediate cease-fire, and involvement of the MDJT in the government and other state insitutions. Opposition parties have expressed concern over a delay in the implementation of the accord and have asked both parties to respect it, according to news reports. The MDJT, headed by Youssouf Togoimi, launched a rebellion in the Tibesti region of northern Chad in 1998. Togoimi had been defence minister in the government of President Idriss Deby, who seized power from Hissene Habre in 1990 and was elected head of state in 1996.