Hopes for a peaceful transition to civilian rule are being dashed in Chad, as an estimated 50 protesters were shot dead by security forces last week after they mobilized against a decision by the transitional government to delay elections.

Chad, a former colony of France, ranks as Africa’s 10th-largest oil producer, pumping around 140,000 bpd in 2021; oil revenues constitute as much as 90% of the government budget. The country is extremely diverse, specifically in terms of religious (around 55% Islamic and 41% Christian), linguistic (Arabic, French, and dozens of tribal dialects), and climatic diversity (straddling the Sahel, Chad’s climate spans from northern desert all the way to southern rainforest).