Chadian priest, Father Madou, released after arrest by security agents

Vatican News.

“His release came less than 24 hours after he was taken by plainclothes security forces in a manner that raised fears of kidnapping by bandits,” the source said.

“The manner of the arrest, the fact that the prosecutor did not follow formal procedure and his rapid release suggest an act of intimidation against a priest who has taken critical positions towards the Government. The rapid release of Father Madoua was probably helped by the statement of Archbishop Goetbé Edmond Djitangar, who immediately published a communiqué on the priest’s arrest as well as the strong mobilisation of the Catholic laity,” underlines our source.

According to a Government communique on social media, the clergyman was arrested for allegedly “inciting division and endangering national cohesion,” the Government said.

Outcry after the arrest

The arrest and the violent manner in which it was carried out generated a public outcry. Security agents in plain clothes forced their way into the parish. In a statement, the Metropolitan Archbishop of N’Djamena, Archbishop Edmond Djitangar, also said it was regrettable that “the arrest was carried out in a ruthless manner, despite his (Fr Madou) state of health.”

The arresting officers fired four bullets at the gate to force entry into the parish premises, the Archbishop said. The Government insists that Father Madou was detained by the “Forces of law in a regular manner and in strict compliance with the legal procedures.”

After his release, Fr Madou thanked a cheering crowd at his parish for their support. Earlier as he left the Archbishop’s Office, Fr Madou told well-wishers, “Many people intervened for my release: the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, the Archbishop, the Christian community. Thank you for this mobilisation. I’m fine, nothing serious,” he said.

An outspoken cleric 

Father Madou Simon-Pierre is no stranger to controversy. He is well-known for denouncing injustices and human rights violations in Chad.

In an interview with Vatican News French Service in October 2022, Fr Madou said, “The Church is always on the side of the poor and marginalised. Faced with Chad’s injustices and misery, a priest cannot remain indifferent. He must denounce, warn and sound the alarm.”

Fr Madou said his heart was in pain each time he looked at Chad. “In an oil-rich country with so much money, the population lives in misery due to the country’s policies of exclusion. Chad has been an oil-producing country since 2003, with a lot of money. Unfortunately, the country remains without hospitals, roads, electricity and, above all, schools,” he told Vatican News.